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ARISTOCRATS OF 
THE GARDEN 



BY 

ERNEST H: WILSON, M.A., V.M.H. 

AUTHOR OF "a NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA" 




ILLUSTRATED 



Garden City New York 

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 

1917 



SB453 



Copyright. 191 6, 19 17, by 

DOUBLEDAY, PaGE & COMPANY 

All rights reserved, including that of 

translation into foreign languages, 

including the Scandinavian 




MAR 21 1917 



S)CI.A457523 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

N I. The Story of the Modern Rose . . . 3 

II. "Consider the Lilies" 19 

III. Midseason Flowering Trees and Shrubs 36 

IV. The Best of the Hardy Climbing Shrubs 55 
V. Ornamental Fruited Trees and Shrubs 78 

VI. The Glory of the Autumn .... 101 

VII. The Best Hardy Conifers .... 113 

VIII. Broad-Leaved Evergreens for Northern 

Gardens 138 

^ IX. New Chinese Trees and Shrubs for the 
Pacific Slope and Other Favored 

Regions 153 

X. Early Spring-Flowering Trees and 

Shrubs 175 

XI. Japanese Cherries and Asiatic Crab- 
apples 195 

XII. In"Lilacdom" . . . .. . . . 213 

XIII. New Herbaceous Plants from China . 230 

XIV. •* Hardy" Rhododendrons .... 244 
XV. The Story of the Davidia .... 275 

Epilogue 296 

Index 301 

V 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

The American Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is one of the most / 

meritorious of all flowering shrubs .... Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

The Sargent Rose, shell pink, raised at the Arnold Arboretum y 

by Jackson Dawson 3 

Lilium Sargentiae has pure white flowers 19^ 

Among the later flowering trees the native American Gordonia 
altamaha is one of great interest 36' 

Clematis montana, var. rubens is an attractive vine with 
rose colored flowers 55' 

The Snowberry (Symphoricarpos racemosus) is deservedly 
popular 78 

The barks of many trees have highly decorative values . . loi^ 

As a lawn tree and for ornamental planting generally the con- 



color Fir is the most beautiful of conifers 113 



The flowers of Yucca flaccida make this a valuable evergreen , 

for most gardens 138' 

As a practical substitute for Ivy the broad-leaved, climbing 
Evonymus (E. radicans, var. vegetus) is an excellent ever- 
green vine 138 

The Chinese Pistach Tree thrives in dry regions . . . . 153 

The Magnolias are among the most notable spring flowering 
trees and shrubs 175' 

Why are Crabapples so little grown? They are hardy, most 
floriferous, and grow on almost any soil 195 

The common Lilac is known in a great number of varieties . 213 

Senecio clivorum has Aster-like flowers three to five inches in 
diameter 230 

Primula pulverulenta has flower scapes fully a yard tall . . 230 

Rhododendron caucasicum is hardy and produces in profu- 
sion its flowers of rose-red, white within 244 

Davidia involucrata, appropriately called the Dove Tree, is 
indeed remarkable 275 ^^ 

vii 



ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 




The Sargent Rose, shell pink semi-double flowers, raised at the 

Arnold Arboretum by Jackson Dawson, combines the qualities 

of Crimson Rambler and Baroness Rothschild H. P. 



ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

CHAPTER I 
THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 

THIS UNIVERSAL FAVORITE COMING OUT OF THE EAST 

IS THE PRODUCT OF BUT A FEW SPECIES — LATENT 

POSSIBILITIES YET BEFORE THE ROSE LOVER 

THE establishing of a trading factory at Canton, 
in southern China, by the EngUsh East India 
Company toward the close of the seventeenth 
century, would appear to have very little — if, indeed, 
anything — to do with the development of modern 
horticulture in general and the Rose in particular. 
But as a matter of fact it has had a great deal to do 
with both, and garden lovers generally (though they 
may not know it) owe a big debt to the directors and 
officers of that grand old Company. The Company 
met with great opposition from the Chinese and 
others and it was a century before it fully established 
itself in China. Nevertheless, in the earliest days 
of its career there, an officer of the Company sent to 
England some dried plants, among them two Roses, 



4 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

known nowadays botanically as Rosa multijlora var. 
cathayensis and R. laevigata, and these were mentioned 
by Plukenet in his Almagestum in 1696. Toward the 
end of the eighteenth century, despite the Napoleonic 
wars and the fact that each vessel was armed and often 
had to do battle against foes, the captains of the East- 
Indiamen, as the Company's ships were called, used 
to carry home plants which they, or the factory 
officials at Canton, found growing in the gardens of 
the Chinese. 

These plants found their way into the gardens of 
the Company's directors and their friends and from 
hence into the Royal Gardens, Kew, and elsewhere. 
To these agencies we owe our earliest varieties of 
Chrysanthemums, Camellias, Moutan Peonies, China 
Primrose, China Azaleas, and, what here concerns 
us chiefly, the first plants of the China Monthly, Tea, 
and Rambler Roses — parents of the modern Rose. 

Early in the eighteenth century India received 
through the same source many plants including these 
and other Roses. It is important to remember this 
since one of these, the China Monthly Rose {Rosa 
chinensis), was afterward erroneously considered to 
be native of India and became generally known as 
the Bengal Rose. This Rose and its var. semper- 
florens were introduced by the French into the Isle of 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 5 

Bourbon, doubtless from India, during the eighteenth 
century. 

The Bengal Rose was known to Gronovius in 1704, 
and came into cultivation in Haarlem in 1781, having 
probably been introduced by Dutch East-Indiamen. 
But, preoccupied with their Tulips and other bulbous 
plants the Dutch have done little toward developing 
the modern Rose. In 1789, Sir Joseph Banks intro- 
duced it into England and, chronologically, our story 
here begins. 

In 1789, the Crimson China Monthly {Rosa chin- 
ensisy var. semperflorens) , through the captain of an Eng- 
lish East-Indiaman, came into the possession of Gilbert 
Slater, Esq. In 1804, Thomas Evans sent from China 
to England through the same agency the first Rambler 
Rose {Rosa multiflora, var. carnea). In 1809, Sir 
Abraham Hume received from China through a 
similar agency the first Tea-scented Rose, which 
had double pink flowers and was christened Rosa 
odorata. And, to complete the independent activities 
of the English East India Company, between 1815 
and 1817 Charles Francis Greville, Esq., received 
from China a Rambler Rose {Rosa multiflora, var. 
platyphylla) which enjoyed lastingpopularity under the 
name of Seven Sisters and by which name it will 
be remembered by many readers of these pages. 



6 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Meanwhile, in 1792, Lord Macartney brought back 
with him from China a Rose {R. bradeata) which was 
styled the Macartney Rose and which is now natural- 
ized in some of our warmer states. 

Another Chinese Rose — the Cherokee Rose — the 
date of whose introduction into this country is un- 
known, is also naturalized widely in the warmer states 
and received its earhest name (R. laevigata) in 1803, 
from Michaux who firmly believed it to be native of 
this country. 

In 1796, Rosa rugosa, native of Japan, Korea, and 
extreme northeastern Asia, was introduced into Eng- 
land by Messrs. Lee and Kennedy. 

These new and amazing plants from China quickly 
attracted the attention of patrons of horticulture in 
England and men were despatched to China ex- 
pressly to send home all the novelties they could find ; 
and, intermittently, from the commencement of the 
nineteenth century down to the present day, ardent 
collectors have been busily employed, but this won- 
derfully rich country is not yet exhausted of its floral 
treasures! One of the first of these collectors — Wil- 
liam Kerr — sent home in 1807 the double white- 
flowered Banksian Rose (Rosa Banksiae). In 1824, 
John Damper Parks sent home the double yellow- 
flowered Banksian Rose {R. Banksiae, var. luted) and 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 7 

a semi-double yellowish Tea Rose (R. odorata, var. 
ochroleuca) . In 1825, the Small-leaved Rose {R. Rox- 
burghii, better known as R. microphylla) with double 
reddish flowers blossomed for the first time in Messrs. 
Colville's Nursery in London. 

We have already mentioned that China Roses 
were introduced into India in the eighteenth century 
and that some of them toward the end of that century 
were introduced into the French Isle of Bourbon, south 
of the equator, where we learn they thrived amazingly 
and produced new forms. 

From Mauritius in 1810, Sweet introduced into 
England the Fairy Rose (R. chinensis, var. minima) ; 
this I consider to be merely a variant of var. semper- 
florens, the Crimson Monthly Rose. About 1819, 
from the Isle of Bourbon, the Rose Edward reached 
France, and, crossed with the French Rose {R. gallica), 
gave rise to the Hybrid Bourbon Roses. This Rose 
Edward is of much interest; long ago it was cultivated 
in Calcutta and it is obviously a Hybrid China. 
The specimen I have seen strongly suggests R. chinen- 
sis X R' centifolia as its parentage. 

The China Monthly Rose {R. chinensis) crossed 
with the French Rose (R. gallica) gave rise to the 
Hybrid China Roses. The Hybrid China and the 
Hybrid Bourbon crossed with the Damask Rose {R. 



8 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

damascena) gave rise to the Hybrid Perpetual or 
Remontant Roses. The Hybrid Perpetual crossed 
with the Tea Rose {R. odorata) gave rise to the Hybrid 
Tea Roses which to-day are the dominant class of Roses. 
Lastly, Rosa chinensis crossed with the Musk Rose 
{R. moschata) gave rise to the Noisette Roses, a 
beautiful class which, unfortunately, has gone out 
of favor. 

But to return to the collectors: In 1846, Robert 
Fortune sent from China to England the yellow-buff 
Fortune Rose (R. odorata, var. pseudoindica), a Tea- 
scented Rose rather similar to the var. ochroleuca and 
widely known under the name "Beauty of Glazen- 
wood." In 1850, he sent home from China a Rose 
with relatively large double white flowers supposed 
to be a cross between the Banksian and Cherokee 
Roses and which was named Rosa Fortuneana. In 
1886, the Wichuraiana Rose {R. Luciae) was intro- 
duced into Brussels from Japan. In 1878, Prof. R. 
Smith sent from Japan to a Mr. Jenner in England a 
Rose which the recipient named The Engineer in 
compliment to the profession of its donor. In course 
of time this Rose came into possession of a nursery- 
man named Gilbert who exhibited some cut flowers 
of it under the above name in 1890, and received an 
Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Soci- 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 9 

ety. Soon afterward Messrs. Chas. Turner, of Slough, 
purchased the stock and changed the name to 
Crimson Rambler. This Rose is generally as- 
sumed to be a hybrid between Rosa multiflora and 
some China Monthly Rose, but to me this view 
is untenable. I do not think it has any China 
Monthly blood in it at all. It has long been cul- 
tivated in China and I consider that, like the Seven 
Sisters Rose, it is a sport from the common, wild 
pink-flowered China Rambler (7?. multiflora, var. 
cathayensis) . These various Chinese Roses were 
introduced from Chinese gardens where they have 
been cultivated from time immemorial and their 
wild prototypes were not discovered, much less intro- 
duced, until comparatively recently. 

The true Rambler Rose (R. multiflora) is a native 
of Japan and has single white flowers in large panicles. 
This was sent to Lyons, France, from Japan in 1862, 
by Monsieur Coignet, an engineer. The pink-flowered 
Chinese variety has only just been dignified by a 
distinctive name. In 1888, General CoUett dis- 
covered, in the Shan Hills of Upper Burmah, a Rose 
with white, pale yellow, or buff flowers six inches 
across and this was named Rosa gigantea. He intro- 
duced it into Europe and it thrives wonderfully on the 
Riviera but in England it flowers sparingly. This 



10 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Rose is common in Yunnan, southwest China, and 
has given rise to a race of double-flowered Roses 
which are cultivated for ornament by the Chinese 
in that region. This Giant Rose is very fragrant and 
I believe it to be the prototype and parent of the Tea- 
scented Roses so long cultivated by the Chinese. The 
prototype of the China Monthly Rose (Rosa chin- 
ensis, var. spontanea) was first found growing wild 
in 1885, by A. Henry, in the province of Hupeh, central 
China, and in this same region the wild form of the 
Banksian Rose with single white flowers is extraor- 
dinarily abundant; so also is the Cherokee Rose; 
and further west, in Szechuan, the prototype of the 
Small-leaved Rose (R. Roxburghii) is one of the most 
common wayside shrubs. 

The genus Rosa is confined to the Northern Hemi- 
sphere and its members are found scattered over the 
cool and warm temperate and the sub-tropic regions 
of Asia, Europe, and North America. Some of them 
are found in northern Africa but no species is endemic 
there. It is an exceedingly difficult genus to classify 
and botanists differ greatly in the estimate of the 
number of species. One botanist asserts that all may 
be included under three species; in the Index 
Kewensis more than five hundred species are enum- 
erated. In the Arnold Arboretum Herbarium twenty- 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 11 

six species are recognized as indigenous in North 
America; and of these virtually only one {R. seti- 
gera), the Prairie Rose, has been utilized by the 
hybridist to date, and this but sparingly. However, 
it is well to mention that a double-flowered form of 
Rosa virginiana, the Rose d' Amour, has been known 
since 1768, and quite recently Rosa humilis has been 
crossed with Rosa rugosa. 

Except in gardens devoted to forming collections 
of plants, species of Rose, with a few exceptions, are 
rarely cultivated and it is trite to say that Roses as 
ordinarily understood are "made," not discovered 
wild. In other words, they are the product of the 
gardeners' skill. I would I could take the readers 
of this work to the mountain fastnesses of central and 
western China, and to certain remote parts of Japan 
and there introduce him to the wild types — the raw 
material — from which have been evolved our *'Kil- 
larneys," "American Beauty," "Mrs. Chas. Russell," 
"Lady Hillingdon," "Caroline Testout," "Mrs. 
George Shawyer"; our "Rambler" and "Wichur- 
aiana" hybrids and innumerable others, and his 
or her astonishment would be profound. Truly it 
hardly seems credible that the Roses of to-day had 
such lowly origins. 

The French Rose {R. galllca), Provence Rose 



12 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

{R. provincialis), and Cabbage Rose (R. centifolia) are 
said to be the only Roses known to Pliny, and it must 
be confessed that the distinctions between these so- 
called species are not obvious. From earliest times 
in the Occident, down to the end of the eighteenth 
century, the Roses so much extolled by ancient writers 
and by our ancestors were either wild species native 
of Persia, Asia Minor, and Europe, or garden forms 
derived therefrom. These would include, in addi- 
tion to those aforementioned, the White Rose (R. 
alba), the Musk Rose (R. moschata), the Damask 
Rose {R. damascena), the Cinnamon Rose (/?. cin- 
namomea), the Moss Rose {R. centifolia, var. muscosa). 
Sweet Briar {R. eglanteria). Sulphur Rose (R. hemis- 
phaerica), Austrian Briar (R. foetida), and the Aus- 
trian Copper (R. foetida, var. bicolor). 

About the end of the eighteenth century the 
Ayrshire Roses were originated from R. arvensis, and 
early in the nineteenth century the Boursault Roses 
were developed, through crossing the Alpine Rose 
{R. pendulina) with R. chinensis, and the Scotch 
Briars from R. spinosissima. Virtually all have dis- 
appeared from general cultivation in the gardens of 
Europe and North America. And all the species of 
Rose indigenous in North America, Europe, and Asia 
Minor have fallen into disfavor and are no longer used 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 13 

by the Rose hybridist with the exception of those 
which have yellow flowers. 

In Bulgaria and other parts of the Balkan Penin- 
sula, and on a small scale in parts of India, the French, 
Cabbage, and Damask Roses are extensively culti- 
vated for the preparation of Attar of Roses. But as 
garden Roses the old have given place to the new, 
and the gardens of to-day are resplendent with the 
products of the China, Tea, Rambler, and Wichurai- 
ana Roses, natives of China and Japan. 

New garden Roses are originated by the hybridiz- 
ing of different species, varieties, and forms, and as 
sports from existing forms as in the case of "White 
Killarney" and many others. They are raised by 
means of seeds, cuttings, layering, budding, and 
grafting, but it is no part of my purpose to enter into 
these details. The object here is to tell of what has 
been, to show the source of what is, and to hint of 
what may yet be evolved. 

Of the vast array of Rose species not more than 
two dozen have in the past history of the Rose been 
employed in the breeding of garden Roses. Thus, 
leaving completely aside the innate tendency to 
variation on the part of Roses of to-day, it is obvious 
that Rose breeders and speciaHsts have still a wide 
untrodden field in which to experiment. It cannot 



14 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

be expected that every species will be found useful in 
the advancement of the Rose, yet at the same time 
only experiment, long continued, can decide which are 
useful or useless. Be it remembered that our pres- 
ent-day Roses owe their principal origin to forms 
cultivated, we know not how long, by the flower- 
loving Chinese. The prototypes of the China and 
Tea Roses have single flowers, and blossom but once 
a year. When these forms gave rise to "monthly 
blooming" Roses, or how the latter originated is un- 
known. Possibly, it was some erratic sport or maybe 
it was due to a radical change in environment caused 
by the removal of the parent plants to a region where 
the seasons were less fixed or winter unknown. How- 
ever, be this as it may, a Rose with a decided ten- 
dency toward perpetual blooming was the most 
marked advance in the genus, from a garden view- 
point, that had occurred up to that time. How mod- 
ern hybridists have taken advantage of this variation 
needs no comment. 

All Rose breeders have their ideals, but in striving 
after size, form, color, freedom of blossom and of 
habit, after good foliage, hardiness, constitution, 
keeping qualities of the flowers and the like, fragrance 
should not be lost sight of. We want Roses good in 
all points. We want fragrant Roses in increasing 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 15 

quantities. We want a Rambler Rose with pure- 
white flowers as large and as freely produced as in the 
Crimson Rambler. Also we want yellow Ramblers, 
yellow Hybrid Perpetuals, more yellow Hybrid Teas 
and Tea Roses. 

Where can we look for these yellow Roses? Now, 
of wild Roses with clear yellow flowers there are only 
known six species: the Simple-leaved Rose (R. 
persica), Austrian Briar {R. foetida). Sulphur Rose 
{R. hemisphaerica), Mrs. Aitchison's Rose (R. Ecae) 
— all natives of Asia Minor and Persia to central 
Asia (Austrian Briar is also found in the Crimea) — 
Father Hugh's Rose (R. Hugonis), and Lindley's Rose 
(/?. xanthina) natives of northern China. The latter, 
though named in 1820 from a Chinese drawing and 
long cultivated in Peking where double and single- 
flowered forms occur, was only introduced to cultiva- 
tion in April, 1908, by F. N. Meyer of the U. S. 
JDepartment of Agriculture. Father Hugh's Rose was 
raised at Kew in 1899. The others have been 
known for a long period and some have been and still 
are being used by Rose breeders. The Double Sul- 
phur or Yellow Provence Rose has been known since 
the seventeenth century. The Yellow Persian was 
brought from Persia in 1838, by Sir Henry Wil- 
lock, and is presumably a form of R. foetida. The 



16 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Harison Rose is either a form of this or more prob- 
ably a hybrid between it and R. spinosissima. All 
these Roses will doubtless play an important part 
in the future, but, personally, I am of the opinion 
that the yellow and buff -colored forms of Rosa odorata, 
var. gigantea are the Roses that will be found of greatest 
value in the evolution of the yellow Roses of the 
future. The rampant growth and sparseness of blos- 
som may be urged against them, but who can say how 
much these characters may be modified under culti- 
vation and by the hybridist? Forms of the Scotch 
Rose {R. spinosissima) have nearly yellow flowers, 
but the only other really yellow Roses known are 
R. Banksiaey var. lutea and the single-flowered R. 
Banksiae, var. lutescens, neither yet known in a wild 
state. 

Wild Roses are pretty and charming plants, yet it 
cannot be claimed that their beauty transcends that of 
other groups of wild flowers. Nevertheless, the Rose 
holds a unique place in the thought and estimation of 
civilized man. In poetry and prose its beauty has 
been extolled far and wide in many tongues. The old 
Persian poet, Omar Khayyam, in the eleventh cen- 
tury, sang its praises and a Damask Rose now grows 
on his grave and also on that of his first English 
translator, Edward Fitzgerald. 



THE STORY OF THE MODERN ROSE 17 

The Rose is the one flower whose name is common 
to the polyglot people of this land. In English, 
French, German, Danish, and Norwegian its name is 
Rose; in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and 
Latin it is Rosa; in Swedish it is Ros, in Dutch Roos, 
in Bohemian Ruze, in Hungarian Rozsa and in Greek 
Rhodon. Is not this both remarkable and significant? 
It is the national flower of one great race, but it is 
loved by all and is the monopoly of no one race nor 
creed. In one internecine war it was used as an 
emblem by opposing factions. In this country's 
Civil War the Cherokee Rose was often planted as a 
memorial on the graves of fallen heroes by their 
surviving comrades. And to-day, the sight of the 
white flowers of this Rose wells up from the heart 
of many a veteran scenes of carnage and strife and 
brings back memories of comrades laid to rest be- 
neath its shade. 

In this and other lands the Rose has societies de- 
voted to encouraging its advancement, and rightly 
so. But in some ways the Rose of al flowers least 
needs the help of special societies. It is the one 
flower which for some inscrutable reason has never 
lost its popularity and by this same token never will. 

The story of the Modern Rose is a story of progress 
and as such holds a peculiar fascination over all. 



18 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

The Near East gave the first fruits to the West; the 
Far East in due course added its bounty. Europe 
began the improvement, and soon this country took 
up a share. The peoples of Asia, Europe, and North 
America have evolved the Modern Rose. With the 
rapid advance in the science of hybridizing and the 
introduction of species and forms from far and near 
new races will be evolved and new eras in the develop- 
ment of the Rose will arise. The story here briefly 
sketched is but the prelude to the full story of the 
Rose which the future will gradually unfold. 




Lilium Sargentiae has pure white flowers and is quite hardy 
Northern gardens 



in 



CHAPTER II 
"CONSIDER THE LILIES" 

COMMON ERRORS OF BELIEF IN THE REQUIREMENTS OF 

THESE SUPERB FLOWERS — A DOZEN SPECIES THAT ARE 

REALLY HARDY 

IN A recipe for jugged hare some one once made 
the sage remark *' First catch your hare!" This 
aphorism is sound, and apropos of growing 
Lilies it may be altered to "First secure healthy bulbs." 
In the matter of the hare every epicure cannot go 
forth with dog and gun and hunt his game; neither 
can every lover of the Lily journey forth to distant 
regions and dig a stock of bulbs. Both, perforce, 
must resort to the dealer and depend upon his knowl- 
edge and honesty, or on their own judgment. 

As one who has hunted the Lily on cliff and dale, 
on mountain-slope and alpine moorland, and through 
woodland and swamp in many remote parts of China 
and the Thibetan borderland, and from the extreme 
south of Japan northward through that pretty 
country to Saghalien and the lonely shores of the 
Okhotsk Sea, I propose here to consider, cursorily, 
how Lilies grow. No class of herbs is more widely 

19 



20 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

known or more highly appreciated; on no class of 
plants is more money annually spent (I had almost 
written wasted); and with no class of flowers do 
amateurs succeed less. The Lily growers who have 
achieved outstanding success can be counted on one's 
fingers, and nurserymen have failed as completely as 
have amateurs. 

Some species, like the Tiger Lily (L. tigrinum,) 
succeed almost everywhere and often under the most 
unfavorable conditions. Others, like the Madonna 
Lily (L. candidum), thrive amazingly in unexpected 
places where they receive no thought or attention. 
The Madonna Lily is the glory and pride of many a 
cottager's garden in the south of England yet often 
on the "squire's estate" near by neither skill nor care 
can induce it to happily make itself at home. David 
Harum opined that "a reasonable amount of fleas 
is good for a dog — they keep him from brooding on 
being a dog." How far the Lily enthusiast can apply 
this philosophy to his own particular troubles depends 
upon the individual and is very much a moot point. 

However, a good many of these troubles are directly 
or indirectly of his own seeking although he may be 
quite unconscious of the fact. It would be absurdly 
fallacious to contend that with knowledge and care 
every Lily-lover can successfully cultivate any kind 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 21 

of Lily that pleased his fancy, but knowledge and 
care will teach what particular kinds can successfully 
be grown and in time convince the enthusiast that he 
must be content with a limited number. Such 
knowledge may be of slow growth and painfully 
acquired but such we value most. 

Now, in passing, let us devote a few moments to 
considering the noblest of all the Lilies — L. auratum, 
the "Golden-rayed Lily of Japan." How many 
millions of bulbs of this Lily have been imported; 
how many thousands of purchasers have been disap- 
pointed; how many letters protesting, or seeking 
advice, have been penned? This wonderful Lily 
flowered first in this country in 1862, in the garden 
of Francis Parkman, the historian, at Jamaica Plain, 
Mass., having been received from Japan through Mr. 
F.Gordon Dexter. In July, 1862, it flowered in Eng- 
land, for the first time in Europe, with Messrs. Veitch, 
from bulbs sent from Japan by their collector, John 
Gould Veitch. 

The Japanese eat the bulbs of Lilium auratum and 
several other species, but for its beauty they do not 
esteem it or any other true Lily — they never did. 
But in due time, after intercourse was established 
between Japan and western nations, largely through 
the vigorous action in 1853-54, of Commodore Perry 



22 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of the U. S. Navy, the Japanese discovered that Lily 
bulbs could be sold for much money, so they began 
ransacking their country in quest of these bulbs. 
In those early days we are told the Yama-juri, or 
Mountain Lily (L. auratum), grew abundantly in 
the volcanic ash and detritus which form the slopes 
of sacred and sublime Mount Fuji. To-day it still 
grows there but in decreasing numbers; yet it is even 
now the most common wild Lily in Japan. In the 
volcanic deposits throughout the province of Idzu 
it is abundant and near by on the small island of 
Oshima, whose central part is an ever active vol- 
cano, grows in quantity the broad-leaved auratum 
(L. auratum, var. platyphyllum). 

For western markets the dealers demand Lily 
bulbs of certain sizes. After a few years the Japanese 
discovered that the supply of wild bulbs meeting the 
necessary requirements was virtually exhausted, but 
they quickly found that in rich, moist farm land, in one 
or at most two years, they could grow the small bulbs 
culled from the mountain slopes and moorlands into 
large saleable bulbs and, incidentally, that the larger 
the bulb the higher its market value. Then began 
in Japan the growing of Lily bulbs for the western 
markets and here commenced the troubles of would-be 
cultivators in the Occident of Lilium auratum. In 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 23 

books on Lilies one reads "Lilium auratum grows 
in porous, open soil largely composed of volcanic 
detritus overlaid by a deep carpet of woodland soil." 
The first part of this statement is true but the "deep 
carpet of woodland soil" is pure fiction. 

In Japan there is much poor and hungry soil but 
none more so than the slopes of august Fuji and the 
volcanic deposits of the Idzu province. Around 
Matsushima, a beauty spot in northern Japan, I saw 
this Lily wild in quantity growing among coarse 
grass and shrubs on low hills and hillocks of pure, 
gray sandstone. In western Japan, in the province of 
Uzen, I also met with it growing wild on gravelly 
banks and hillsides among small shrubs and coarse 
grasses. It is the open, porous soil, and not the rich 
humus, that this Lily luxuriates in. Leaf soil it loves 
in common with all Lilies, but it wants no unaerated 
acid peat and it loathes raw nitrogenous manures. 
True, bulbs transferred from their natural haunts to 
fields and cultivated like potatoes increase rapidly in 
size but the constitution of the plant is undermined 
and it becomes a prey to fungoid diseases. 

There is a minimum size to every kind of Lily 
bulb below which it cannot produce strong, flowering 
stems. This size varies according to the particular 
species, but in every case a firm, solid bulb of moderate 



24 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

size will be found more healthy and will give results 
more satisfactory than a large, loose, and flabby bulb. 
Purchasers who make mere size their standard of 
value often defeat the object they have most closely 
in view. I examined some bulbs of the wild L. 
auratum and found them only about a couple of 
inches in diameter though they bore heads of from 
three to six flowers and, also, were absolutely free of 
any sign of disease. Later, I asked one of the largest 
and perhaps the best-informed Japanese grower of 
Lilies why he did not dig and sell these wild bulbs 
since they were so healthy and vigorous. With a 
smile he answered: "My dear sir, I tried it once and 
found that neither in Europe nor America could a 
purchaser be found for bulbs so small!'* 

Of the genus LiHum, to which all true Lilies belong, 
about eighty species are known. All are confined to 
the waste places of the Northern Hemisphere and more 
than half of them are indigenous in China and Japan. 
The genus ranges through the temperate and sub- 
tropic regions from eastern North America to Cali- 
fornia and through eastern Asia, the Himalayas, and 
Siberia to the extreme limits of western Europe. It 
is absent from the plains of the middle west of North 
America and from central Asia, and there are other 
considerable gaps in the field of distribution. Two 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 25 

species are found within and confined to the tropics, 
viz., L. philippinense in the Phihppine Islands, and L. 
neilgherrense on the Neilgherry Hills in southern 
India. In this wide domain species of Lilium are 
found under diverse conditions and a moment's reflec- 
tion should convince us of the futility of attempting to 
cultivate in any one garden all the species obtainable. 
Botanists, chiefly on the shape of the flowers, 
divide Lilies into five groups, viz. — 

I. Flowers strongly recurved and suggestive of a 
Turk's cap, a famiUar example being the Tiger Lily 
(L. tigrinum). 

II. Flowers large and funnel-shaped as in the 
common Easter Lily (L. longiflorum). 

III. Flowers like a saucer or shallow basin as in the 
Golden-rayed Lily of Japan (L. auratum), 

IV. Flowers erect as in the Umbellate Lily (L. 
umbellatum) . 

V. Leaves broad and heart-shaped as in the Giant 
Lily (L. giganteum). 

For horticultural purposes a much more simple 
classification may be invoked. For gardens in cool 
temperate regions Lilies may be divided into two 
broad groups: 

(A.) Hardy Lilies of which L. tigrinum, L. regale, and 
L. Henryi may serve as examples. 



26 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

(B.) Not Hardy, of which may be cited L. longi- 
florum, L. sulphureum, and L. nepalense. 

Again, they may be divided into Swamp Lihes 
which would include nearly all the American species, 
and Dry-land Lilies which would include most of the 
species of China and Japan. With almost equal 
propriety these groups might be styled humus-loving 
and loam-loving respectively. 

Also, we might divide Lilies into shade-loving 
kinds, as for example, L. giganteum, and sun-loving 
such as L. regale. But, not to waste time it may 
be laid down as a law that in the average garden 
situated in the temperate parts of North America, 
only such species of Lily as are perfectly hardy 
withstand sun, and, call for moderately dry land, have 
any chance of becoming successful denizens. For 
such gardens swamp Lilies, woodland Lilies, and 
alpine Lilies, with a few exceptions, may be ruled out 
entirely. 

Most species of Lilies detest lime; to many it is a 
deadly poison; to none, so far as we know, is lime 
essential; but some, like L. candidum, L. martagon, and 
L. testaceuiYiy are apparently indifferent to its presence 
in the soil. 

All Lilies demand good drainage. When one thinks 
of swamp Lilies this statement may sound un- 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 27 

scientific. But dig up a few of these Lilies and note 
carefully the exact conditions under which they grow. 
It will be found that the bulb rests on a stone or a 
piece of rock, or in a tuft of firm sod, or nestles in 
gritty sand. The roots are in wej: mud or may even 
hang free in the water; but the bulb is so placed that 
water cannot stagnate immediately under and around 
it, and in winter it is fairly dry. 

A few swamp Lilies like the native L. superbum and 
the Panther Lily (L. pardalinum) of California may 
be grown without difficulty among Rhododendrons ; but 
for those requiring more moisture, if their culture be 
attempted, it is a good plan to invert a flower-pot at 
the requisite depth, place the bulb on the upturned 
base and surround it with silver- or gritty river-sand. 

Sun-loving Lilies, although the upper part of their 
stems are fully exposed and their blossoms flaunt in 
the sun, really require a certain amount of protection 
from the direct rays in the early stages of their growth. 
Lilies are not desert plants, and the most sun-loving 
among them are never found in areas where no other 
plant grows. True, some of them are denizens of 
semi-arid regions but they are ever associated with 
grasses or twiggy shrubs, among and through which 
their young shoots are upthrust and which break the 
sun's direct rays. Some species like the Regal Lily 



28 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

(L. regale, better known under the erroneous name of 
L. myriophyllum), can withstand much desiccation 
but these in a natural state have their foil of herbs and 
scrub. 

Journey in thought with me, for a moment or two, 
westward until "west" becomes "east" although we still 
chase the setting sun. Across this continent, across 
that broad ocean misnamed "Pacific," to Shanghai, 
the gate of Far Cathay; onward and westward up the 
mighty Yangtsze River for eighteen hundred miles, 
then northward, up its tributary the Min, some two 
hundred and fifty miles to the confines of mysterious 
Thibet; to that little-known hinterland which sep- 
arates China proper from the hierarchy of Lhassa ; to a 
wild and mountainous country peopled mainly by 
strange tribesf oik of unknown origin ; to a land where 
Lamaism, Buddhism, and Phallism strive for mastery 
of men's souls; to a region where mighty empires meet. 
There in narrow, semi-arid valleys down which thunder 
torrents, and encompassed by mountains composed of 
mudshales and granites whose peaks are clothed with 
snow eternal, the Regal Lily has its home. In sum- 
mer the heat is terrific, in winter the cold is intense, 
and at all seasons these valleys are subject to sudden 
and violent windstorms against which neither man 
nor beast can make headway. There, in June, by the 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 29 

wayside, in rock-crevices by the torrent's edge, and 
high up on the mountainside and precipice this Lily 
in full bloom greets the weary wayfarer. Not in 
twos and threes; but in hundreds, in thousands, aye, 
in tens of thousands. Its slender stems, each two to 
four feet tall, flexible and tense as steel, overtopping 
the coarse grass and scrub and crowned with one to 
several large, funnel-shaped flowers more or less wine- 
colored without, pure white and lustrous on the face, 
clear canary-yellow within the tube and each stamen 
tipped with a golden anther. The air in the cool of 
the morning and in the evening is laden with soft, 
delicious perfume exhaled from each bloom. For a 
brief season this lonely, semi-desert region is trans- 
formed by this Lily into a veritable fairyland. 

Since we have, figuratively, traveled so far to see 
one Lily in its home surroundings, let us in the same 
manner journey a hundred miles or so farther and to 
the southwest, and there, in valleys clothed with 
coarse grasses and low shrubs and under conditions 
but little less severe than the preceding and in equal 
abundance, we find Mrs. Charles S. Sargent's Lily (L. 
Sargent iae) reigning supreme. Westward some few 
miles and on the margin of shrubberies at eight thou- 
sand feet above sea level and on the very edge of the 
Thibetan grasslands grows Mrs. Bayard Thayer's Lily 



30 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

(L. Thayerae). There are other Lilies which we have 
not time to consider but on our homeward journey 
let us pause for a moment in the geographical 
heart of China, in the region of the famous Yang- 
tsze Gorges, and visit the haunt of the Orange- 
flowered Speciosum (L. Henry i). Inland a few miles 
from the riverine city of Ichang, on formations of 
conglomerate and hard carboniferous limestones, at 
the edge of woods and among tall shrubs we find here 
a few and there many of Henry's charming Lily. 

From these distant regions came the bulbs of these 
Lilies, and I count it a privilege to have been the for- 
tunate discoverer of two, the introducer of three, and 
the medium through which the fourth (L. Henryi) 
first became common in cultivation. I could tell of 
others equally beautiful were any good purpose to be 
served and I mention these four not for personal 
reasons but to direct attention to the conditions under 
which they grow wild and to emphasize that, though 
sun-loving and capable of withstanding much desicca- 
tion both from the action of sun and frost, they grow 
naturally among protective herbs and shrubs. These 
herbs and shrubs afford protection in two ways: in 
spring they screen from the sun's direct rays the young 
flower-stem of the Lily after it emerges from mother 
earth; in the autumn the fallen leaves of the shrubs 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 31 

and the dying culms of the herbs form a protective 
mulch which as it decays becomes a nourishing food. 

This brief sketch of the conditions under which 
certain Lilies grow wild enables us to deduce certain 
facts of cultural importance. In the first place, Lilies 
should be planted among Ferns, or dwarf shrubs such, 
for example, as Lavender, wild Roses, Deutzias, Indi- 
goferas, Lespedezas, Comptonia, Vacciniums, Ericas, 
Calluna, native Azaleas, Rhododendrons and, where 
climate admits, shrubby Veronicas and Olearias. 

Planting Lihes among shrubs is no new idea; 
twenty-five years or more ago it came into vogue. 
Some one achieved great success through planting 
Lilies among Rhododendrons and the cry went forth 
that this was the solution of the Lily grower's 
troubles — plant Lilies among Rhododendrons! It 
is quite true that a number of species like L. pardali- 
nuniy L. superbum, L. speciosum, L. Hansonii (and 
I have also seen L. auratum) do well under such con- 
ditions. Also it is true that Rhododendrons require 
peat and here is the rub. All Lilies love leafsoil but a 
great many detest peat. I have seen L. Henryi grow 
ten feet tall in loam and leafsoil and continue to 
thrive for many years. I have seen this Lily disap- 
pear completely in two seasons when planted in pure 
peat. Plant Lilies among shrubs, but let the class of 



32 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

shrubs depend upon whether the particular species of 
Lily loves loam or humus. For my own part I would 
keep away from peat except for swamp Lihes and use 
fibrous loam, sand, and leafsoil, the latter in increas- 
ing proportion as to species that grow naturally in 
fairly open country, thickets, or woods. 

Another and very obvious deduction is the im- 
portance of mulching. In every garden much ground 
is bare of vegetation and fully exposed to the sun and 
elements. In spring, as the frost disappears, an in- 
spection will show that this ground is fissured and 
furrowed in many directions and any kind of bulb 
which had been planted in such bare soil is often more 
or less exposed. This may be avoided and much 
benefit bestowed on all bulbs by covering them in 
autumn with a mulch of rotted leaves or exhausted 
manure. 

Strictly speaking, a bulb is a bud just as much so as 
the winter-bud of a Hickory or Horsechestnut, but 
with this difference : its scales are fleshy storehouses of 
starch and other food reserves instead of merely dry 
and chaffy protective scales, and roots are emitted 
from the base. These basal roots anchor the bulb 
and supply it with water and certain food salts. If 
we examine Lilies like L. Henryi, L. auratum, and 
L. regale we find that the underground part of the 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 33 

flowering stem bears masses of roots. These help to 
feed the growing stem and prevent undue exhaustion 
of the bulb. After flowering this root system assists 
in the rehabilitation of the bulb. Roots emitted 
from the stem above the ground quickly perish. An 
appreciation of these facts shows the necessity of deep 
planting. The bulbs of all stem-rooting LiHes (and 
the majority are such) should be planted twice their 
own depth down. That is to say, a bulb three inches 
high should have six inches of soil covering it and so 
on in proportion. The importance of deep planting 
is not sufficiently understood, but go and dig up a few 
Lily bulbs from their native haunts and it will be 
found they are usually deeper down than twice their 
height. 

The majority of Lilies are at rest, or nearly so, dur- 
ing the winter months but all kinds benefit from plant- 
ing as early in the fall as is possible. 

The Madonna Lily (L. candidum) is an exception in 
several ways. In the first place, it resents moving. 
When this has to be done it should be undertaken not 
later than six weeks after flowering as the resting 
period of this Lily is unusually short. Again, it 
should be noted that this Lily has a mass of broad 
basal leaves independent of the flowering stem and it 
is these leaves with the assistance of the roots that 



34 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

build up the bulb. This Lily should have the top of 
its bulb only just covered with soil. It prefers rather 
stiff loam in a situation fully exposed to the sun but it 
will grow in dry and hungry limestone soils. Bulbs 
grown in the south of England are the best though the 
majority of dealers still insist that French-grown 
bulbs are superior. 

From this cursory consideration of the conditions in 
which Lilies grow wild in various parts of the world a 
few facts of cardinal importance to the Lily lover may 
be deduced. In the first place, since Lilies inhabit the 
waste places of the Northern Hemisphere it is obvious 
that they are unaccustomed to rich food. For this 
reason even stable manure should not be used in their 
culture and artificial fertilizers are absolutely inimical. 
All Lilies grow naturally in places where each autumn 
they receive a mulch of fallen leaves. Leafsoil and 
not manure is the requisite essential. Nearly all 
grow in well-drained situations and good drainage 
is absolutely necessary to ensure success. Lilies of 
the swamp, woodland, and alpine meadow are with 
rare exceptions difficult to cultivate. Those which 
grow among shrubs and herbs more or less exposed to 
the sun are less exacting and in this class is found the 
majority of the sorts amenable to cultivation in 
ordinary gardens. 



CONSIDER THE LILIES 35 

It is not possible to lay down any hard and fast 
rules, but good, sound bulbs and a common-sense at- 
tention to a few elementary details are the essentials. 
Several kinds of Lilies present no more difficulties 
under cultivation than do Narcissi and Tulips ; never- 
theless in most gardens to maintain Lilies in good 
health new soil or removal to a new site is necessary 
every few years. 

The following species will be found to thrive and 
give satisfaction in any and every garden in tem- 
perate climes with the sine qua non that sound 
bulbs only be planted: L. tigrinum, L. umbellatum, 
L. Hansonii, L. pardalinum, L. superbum, L. candidum, 
L. croceum, L. Henryi, L. regale, L. Sargentiae L. 
auratum, L. speciosum, L. testaceum, and L. Thayerae. 



CHAPTER III 

MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND 
SHRUBS 

LITTLE REALIZED OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLOWERS IN 

THE SUMMER TIME — WHAT OUR PARKS AND GARDENS 

MIGHT EASILY DISPLAY 

THE geographical area of the United States of 
America is so immense and the climate is 
SO diversified that there is ample room in 
which to accommodate out of doors all the kinds of 
woody plants known from the Northern and Southern 
hemispheres outside of the tropics. In California 
the trees and shrubs of the temperate regions of the 
Southern Hemisphere thrive amazingly, and it is 
probable that in this state alone a greater variety of 
woody plants can be successfully grown in the open 
ground than in any similar area in the world. I 
mentioned the Southern Hemisphere, but it should 
be added that the trees and shrubs of China, Japan, 
the Himalayas, southern Europe, the Caucasus, and 
the Mediterranean region of northern Africa are 
equally at home in California. 

In contrast it may be stated that in the Arnold 

36 




Among the later flowering trees the native American Gordonia 

altamaha is one of great interest. The white flowers appear 

in August and September 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 37 

Arboretum, Boston, Mass., it has not been found 
possible to cultivate successfully any tree or shrub 
native of the Southern Hemisphere. Many of the 
trees native of Europe thrive indifferently here and 
virtually no exotic broad-leaved evergreen will with- 
stand the vagaries of this austere New England cli- 
mate. 

The United States of America is a land of extremes 
but the horticultural possibilities are well-nigh illimit- 
able. The day will dawn when throughout the length 
and breadth of this land there will be country homes 
and their attendant gardens. Much pioneer work 
has been done and progress is being made but the 
consummation of these efforts is with the future. 

Though paradoxical, it is none the less true, 
that the very size of this country and the diversity 
of its climate simplify in general, and at the same 
time complicate in detail, the efforts of those who 
treat of horticultural matters. Statements of a 
general nature may be absolutely true yet utterly 
misleading unless duly qualified. For example, I 
might assert that several species of Eucalyptus and 
Acacia are perfectly hardy and quick-growing trees 
in the United States of America and recommend their 
being extensively planted in parks and gardens. To 
the people of California such a statement would be 



38 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

accepted as demonstrably true. To the people of 
Massachusetts it would seem ridiculous nonsense ! 

Therefore, in writing on horticultural matters, 
and especially on those which are strongly influenced 
by climate, it is necessary that one specify to what 
particular part of a country his statements are in- 
tended to apply. It is unfortunate that one's efforts 
must be circumscribed, but the controlling factors are 
beyond human restraint. In the case of these pages it 
must be remembered that they have definite reference 
mainly to gardens in the temperate parts of eastern 
North America. The scope is broad, but details are 
necessary; and it is climate that controls these details 
since the plants I write of are recommended for the 
embellishment of parks and outdoor gardens. 

Eastern North America is singularly rich in native 
species of ornamental flowering trees and shrubs, 
and in spring and early summer the waysides and 
woodlands are everywhere gay with conspicuous 
flowers. About midsummer this wealth of blossom 
ceases in so far as woody plants are concerned, and tall- 
growing herbs in meadow and swamp, in thicket and 
forest-glade, proudly flaunt their multicolored flowers. 
Even in cold New England, Nature so economizes 
that there are very few weeks in the whole year when 
absolutely no flowers are to be found out of doors. 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 39 

Taking a lesson from Dame Nature every well-ordered 
garden should be so stocked that a succession of 
flowers be maintained. 

At summer resorts the gardeners' efforts are largely 
directed toward the growing of plants which blossom 
from the beginning of July to mid-September. Her- 
baceous perennials, tender herbaceous exotics, and 
certain bulbous plants, together with a few shrubs 
such as Rose of Sharon {Hibiscus syriacus), the Hardy 
Hydrangea {Hydrangea paniculata), and the Tender 
Hydrangea or Hortensia {H, opuloides, commonly 
known as H. hortensis), and H. opuloides, var. otaksa 
are utilized to produce the necessary display of 
flowers. Without being critical it may be said that 
there is a sameness in the floral displays of most sum- 
mer gardens which is varied only by design and quan- 
tity. There is no particular reason for being dissat- 
isfied, but, among woody plants which flower during 
this season a much greater variety could advantage- 
ously be grown and much beauty and charm added 
thereby. The number though relatively small is 
much greater than many suppose. Some of these 
plants are natives of eastern North America, a good 
many are indigenous in China and Japan, whilst others 
hail from various parts of Europe and temperate Asia. 
Some of these I now propose to discuss in brief detail. 



40 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

During the early part of July the Lindens (Tilia), 
the largest genus of summer-flowering trees, put 
forth their fragrant, honey-laden, pendent blossoms. 
The native Sweet Bay {Magnolia glauca) with cup- 
shaped white flowers is also in blossom, and in wet 
seasons a second crop of flowers appears on Magnolia 
cordata. This medium-sized native tree has beauti- 
ful cup-shaped yellow flowers and its history is more 
than ordinarily interesting. It was originally dis- 
covered by the elder Michaux in the neighborhood of 
Augusta, Georgia, some time between 1787 and 1796, 
and by him (or his son) introduced into France. The 
trees now in cultivation are derived from these original 
introductions of Michaux. All efforts to rediscover 
this Magnolia failed until about two years ago when 
Mr. Louis A. Berckmans accidentally ** happened" 
upon it in a dry wood some eighteen miles south of 
Augusta. Michaux describes it as a tree from forty 
to fifty feet tall, but the recent discoveries are bushes 
from four to six feet tall. 

From the middle to the end of July the Sourwood 
or Sorrel Tree {Oxydendrum arboreum), another Amer- 
ican tree, is in flower. A native of the Appalachian 
Mountains where it grows thirty feet and more tall, 
this member of the Heath family is quite hardy in 
Massachusetts where it commences to blossom when 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 41 

only a few feet high. The white, urn-shaped flowers 
are produced in great profusion in terminal, spreading 
and slightly drooping compound clusters and last for 
a long time. The bright green leaves have a pleasant 
acidulous taste and turn in the autumn bright scar- 
let. The Sourwood is apparently free of disease and 
is not subject to insect pests; it is perfectly hardy and 
well deserves a place in every garden. 

Of the several hardy exotic trees which flower in 
July and August at least three merit wider recogni- 
nition,viz. — iheYsirnishTree (Kdelreuteriapaniculaia), 
the Pagoda Tree {Sophora japonica), and the Acan- 
thopanax {Kalopanax ricinifolium). 

The Koelreuteria is native of northern China and 
was introduced into Petrograd from the neighborhood 
of Peking some time between 1740 and 1756. It was 
introduced in 1763, into England by Lord Coventry, 
presumably from Petrograd. Though known in cul- 
tivation for more than a century and a half it is far 
from being as generally planted as its beauty warrants. 
It is a small tree from twenty to thirty feet tall with 
spreading branches, large, shining green, pinnately, 
divided leaves, and erect much-branched panicles, a 
foot and more high, of numerous bright yellow flowers 
which are followed by bladder-like top-shaped fruits. 
In the color of its flowers Koelreuteria is unique among 



42 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

midseason flowering trees. It is much cultivated in 
Peking gardens and will withstand heat and drought 
as well as cold. In the semi-arid valleys of western 
China another and closely allied species {K. apiculata) 
is common and is now in cultivation in western 
gardens. 

The Sophora is allied to the Locust tree but, for- 
tunately unlike the latter, it is not subject to attacks 
of boring insects. Its specific name notwithstanding, 
Sophora japonica is indigenous in China and is only 
known as a cultivated tree in Japan, having been in- 
troduced by Buddhist priests perhaps a thousand 
years ago. In China this tree is widely dispersed and 
in the extreme west is very common in rocky and 
sandy semi-arid valleys. It is a very hardy tree, 
from sixty to eighty feet tall, and has a dense wide- 
spreading oval or flattened crown, and toward the 
end of July and in August every branchlet termi- 
nates in an erect branching cluster of creamy-white 
flowers which are followed by slender, curiously con- 
stricted saponaceous pod-like fruits. 

This Sophora flowered first under cultivation near 
Paris in 1779, having been raised from seeds sent from 
Peking by Father d'lncarville, a Jesuit priest, about 
1747. On sandy soil in the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
where it was received from Paris through J. Gordon in 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 43 

1753, this tree thrives remarkably and some magnifi- 
cent specimens may be seen there. Here in Boston, 
Mass., there are growing several fine old trees. In 
the park in which stands the Temple of Heaven at 
Peking there is a grand old avenue of this tree. The 
individuals are large, with deeply furrowed dark gray 
bark and in winter they are singularly Oak-like in 
general appearance. In temple grounds in Japan 
fine specimen trees are occasionally met with. In 
China the flowers of the Sophora are used in prepar- 
ing a yellow dye for silk. 

The Kalopanax is a member of the Ivy family and 
is one of the noblest trees of the cool temperate regions. 
It occurs wild, scattered through the moist forests 
from the extreme south to the limits of northern 
Japan. It is most abundant in Hokkaido, in Korea, 
and also in central and western China where it is a 
valuable timber tree. This tree grows to a large size 
and in Japan specimens eighty feet tall with a trunk 
from fifteen to twenty feet in girth are not rare. In 
old trees the bark is gray and deeply furrowed, the 
branches thick and spreading to form a flattened or 
rounded crown. In young trees the branches are 
erect-spreading and both they and the trunk are 
armed with scattered, short, stout spines. The 
dark green leaves on long stalks are very like those 



44 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of the Castor-oil plant (Ricinus) and to this re- 
semblance the tree owes its specific name. In late 
July and in August each branchlet bears a broad, flat 
compound cluster of white flowers which are rapidly 
followed by shin ng black Elderberry-like fruits. 
The large and handsome palmate leaves give this 
tree a tropical appearance yet it is perfectly hardy and 
quick-growing. In the Arnold Arboretum may be 
seen two trees each thirty-five feet tall, raised from 
seeds collected in Japan by Professor Sargent in 1892. 
These trees flower and fruit each year and have done 
so for several years past. This Kalopanax thrives in 
ordinary garden soil but prefers a moist situation. As 
far as is known it is not attacked by any insect or 
disease. As a lawn tree or as a specimen tree by side 
of water it is unsurpassed and also it ought to be used 
for street planting. In Hokkaido this tree is known 
as the "Sen," and the wood, which is white with a 
fine grain, is exported to China for railway ties and to 
Europe for making shop-fittings, panels, and office 
furniture. Another Japanese tree, Stewartia pseudo- 
camellia, a member of the CameUia family, also 
blossoms about the end of July and is much too rare 
in gardens. In the moist forests of the Nikko region 
this tree is abundant and is easily recognized by its 
perfectly smooth gray-brown bark; the branches are 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 45 

ascending and form a narrow head. The flowers are 
saucer-shaped, white with a mass of yellow stamens; 
they are very freely produced and the tree is strikingly 
ornamental. Its eastern North American relative {S. 
pentagyna) which is native of the southern Appalachian 
region, is a tall shrub with larger, more cup-shaped 
flowers which appear about mid-July. Both these 
Stewartias are hardy as far north as Boston. A near 
and equally hardy relative of these is Gordonia al- 
tamaha, one of the most beautiful and most interesting 
of late-flowering American plants. It is a shrub from 
fifteen to twenty feet high with obovate-oblong leaves 
and pure white cup or saucer-shaped flowers with con- 
spicuous yellow stamens which are produced from 
August to late September. It was discovered in the 
region of the Altamaha River, in Georgia, by John 
Bartram, in 1765, and introduced by his son WiUiam 
into England in 1774, but aU plants now in cultivation 
are from his second coUection in 1778. No one has 
seen this plant wild since 1790. 

Other late-flowering trees worthy of a place in 
gardens are Rhus javanica (better known as R. 
Osbeckii or R. semialata), Clerodendron trichotomum, 
and C. trichotomum, var. Fargesii, all three native of 
China and Japan. Unfortunately the two Cleroden- 
drons are not hardy as far north as Boston, Mass. 



46 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Of shrubs there is quite a variety which blossom 
during the midseason. By the middle of July the 
last of the Buckeyes {Aesculus parvifiora) is in flower. 
This native of the southeastern states is a broad, 
round-topped, much-branched shrub from six to ten 
feet high, and every branchlet terminates in long, 
narrow, erect spikes of small white flowers in which 
the stamens are long exserted. This shrub requires 
good soil and a moist situation, and is well suited 
for planting in large masses or as a single speci- 
men. 

The Pepperbush (Clethra), of which three species 
are hardy in the Arnold Arboretum, is perhaps the 
most beautiful group of native shrubs which flower 
from mid-July. The most common is Clethra alni- 
folia, a denizen of swamp borders and moist places in 
the neighborhood of the coast from Maine to Florida. 
As usually seen it is a bush from four to six feet tall, with 
white, fragrant flowers borne in erect, terminal com- 
pound clusters. Unfortunately the leaves are often 
disfigured by attacks of red spider. A second species 
(C. tomentosa) is native of Florida and flowers two 
or three weeks later than the preceding from which 
it differs chiefly in the covering of white hairs on the 
lower surface of the leaves. The third (C. acuminata) 
is an inhabitant of the forests of the southern Ap- 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 47 

palachian Mountains and is a less desirable garden 
plant. A fourth species (C. canescens), hardy in the 
vicinity of Boston, hails from Japan and exceeds 
in beauty any of the American kinds, but unfortu- 
nately it does not readily make itself at home with 
us. The inflorescence is larger than in the American 
species and the plant grows to a greater size. As I 
write 1 have in mind a fine specimen fully fourteen 
feet high, which is growing on a windswept corner in 
a garden at Winchester, Mass. Every year each 
branchlet of this bush terminates in large clusters 
of fragrant white flowers. In Japan this Pepper- 
bush is widely distributed and in moist forests is 
often a tree forty feet tall with a smooth gray-brown 
trunk five feet and more in girth. 

At midseason the Spir8eas are all past but their 
place is well taken by the closely allied genus Sorbaria 
which is distinguished by its pinnate leaves and ter- 
minal compound panicles of flowers. Five species 
are hardy in the Arnold Arboretum and thrive in 
ordinary garden soil. The best results are obtained 
by planting them in rich loam in a moist place, and 
by the side of a pond or stream their grace and beauty 
are seen to best advantage. They are excellent sub- 
jects for the wild garden and to develop their full 
beauty they must have plenty of room. One of the 



48 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

finest of these Sorbarias is S. arborea, a very common 
shrub in central and western China whence I intro- 
duced it into the Arnold Arboretum and elsewhere. On 
the Chino-Thibetan borderland this plant is very abun- 
dant and grows from fifteen to twenty feet high and as 
much through, and bears in profusion much-branched 
arching panicles often two feet long of pure-white 
flowers. From the extreme northwestern Himalayas 
came S, Aiichisonii, with smooth shoots and pale 
green leaves and even larger masses of flowers than 
the preceding which it resembles in size and habit. 
In Hokkaido and Saghalien the well-known S. sorbifolia 
is a shrub from three to five feet tall with erect shoots 
which terminate in rigidly upright wide-branched 
panicles eighteen inches high. I retain a vivid recol- 
lection of the picture this shrub presented during August 
in Saghalien. There, on the margins of grassy 
swamps and swampy woodlands and by the side of 
streams and ponds, this plant luxuriates in great 
abundance; its pyramids of white flowers with their 
prominent stamens, reared on rigid stems three to 
five feet tall and subtended by numerous large deep 
green leaves, presented a never-to-be-forgotten spec- 
tacle in that lonely, silent land. 

The other two species (5. assurgens from western 
China and S. stellipila from northern Japan) are also 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 49 

well worth growing. A sixth species (S. Lindleyana) 
from the Himalayas is not hardy with us. 

Three species of Adam's Needle (Yucca flaccida, 
native of the southern Appalachians, Y. filamentosa 
from Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Y. glauca, native 
of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains) are 
hardy in the Arnold Arboretum. With their spear- 
like leaves these plants are interesting at all seasons 
and when in flower there are few if any subjects more 
beautiful. The tall, branching inflorescence and nod- 
ding white flowers, in the daytime more or less 
top-shaped, expand on moonlight nights when they 
attract the moths which effect the fertilization of the 
flowers. 

Of shrubs with yellow flowers there are several, 
aU native of southern Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia 
Minor, which blossom in July. Most interesting 
among these are Cytisus nigricanSy C. capitatus, and 
Genista tinctoriay var. elata, all three good garden 
plants unfortunately too rarely seen in American 
gardens. The Bladder Sennas (Coluiea arborescens 
and C. cilicica) flower in July, and C. orientalis, which 
flowers earlier is covered with large, thin-walled in- 
flated pods which are tinged with pink and are very 
ornamental. 

The yellow shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruti- 



50 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

cosa), its variety parvifolia and the white-flowered 
variety Veitchii, blossom in early and late summer 
and do well in sunny situations. A St. John's Wort 
(Hypericum patulum, var. Henry i)^ sl newcomer from 
western China which grows from two to three feet tall 
and bears large deep yellow flowers, is also worthy of 
note. With blue or bluish flowers two shrubby species 
of Clematis (C. heracleaefolia from northern China, 
C. starts from Japan) bloom during this midseason. 
Of each there are several varieties and the flowers 
are more or less tubular in shape. These plants grow 
about three feet tall and behave much as do herbace- 
ous perennials. Another beautiful little plant with 
blue flowers unfortunately not hardy around Boston 
is Caryopteris incana (better known as C. Mastacan- 
thus), a native of Japan and China. 

The largest group of midseason shrubs has flowers 
of pink, red, and purple. Belonging to the Pea fam- 
ily the most beautiful are Indigofera and Lespedeza. 
Of the first named /. Kirilowii, with bright rose-pink 
flowers, hails from Korea and northern China, and 
/. decora, with white flowers, from Japan and northern 
China. Both are low, sub-shrubby plants with twiggy 
shoots and bright green pinnate leaves and large, 
lovely flowers on long, erect racemes. They com- 
mence to blossom in late June and continue to do so 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 51 

for a couple of months. Another species, /. Gerardi- 
ana from the Himalayas, has rose-colored flowers but 
it is a less valuable plant for northern gardens. A 
fourth and new introduction from central China is 
/. amblyantha. This is an erect, little-branching shrub 
from five to six feet tall with erect racemes of pink 
or rose-red colored flowers. It is a pleasing plant and 
remarkable inasmuch as the racemes continue to 
elongate and produce blossoms from late June until 
the frosts appear. 

Of Lespedeza the hardiest are L. bicolor, L. for- 
mosa, and L. crytobotrya, all three twiggy, floriferous 
shrubs. 

A very charming subject much too infrequently 
met with in gardens is Callicarpa japonica. This 
plant has opposite leaves and from the axil of each 
and every one arise short-stalked flattened clusters 
of pinkish flowers. These are quickly followed by 
masses of smaU, round, rose-purple fruits which last 
until the frosts come and which, as the generic name 
indicates, are very beautiful. 

A comparatively new and highly desirable plant is 
Elsholtzia Stauntonii, introduced in 1905, into the Ar- 
nold Arboretum by Mr. J. G. Jack from near the Great 
Wall of China north of Peking. This is almost a 
herbaceous plant and may be treated as such. It 



52 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

has terminal and lateral, more or less erect racemes 
of rose-purple flowers with long, exserted stamens and 
is most attractive. 

As a group with lilac, rose, and vinous-purple flow- 
ers the most valuable recent addition to midseason 
shrubs is unquestionably Buddleia Davidii (more gen- 
erally known as B. variabilis) and its varieties, and 
these are fast winning wefl-deserved popularity in 
this country under the name of Summer Lilac. They 
are inhabitants of central and western China where 
they are essentially fluviatile plants though here and 
there they ascend moist herb or shrub-clad slopes. 
They are scarcely hardy as far north as Boston, Mass., 
but cuttings of half-ripe wood inserted under glass in 
autumn root readily and these if planted out early 
in June wifl make large bushes and flower profusely 
in August and September. A rich, loamy soil, full 
sunshine, and an abundant water supply are the 
essentials. Grown in this manner I have measured 
the tail-like inflorescence over thirty inches long. 
In the Garden Magazine, April, 1916, appeared an 
illustrated article on these plants so there is no need 
even for the introducer to enter into further details 
concerning them. But as an expression of opinion 
perhaps I may be allowed to say that my own favorite 
is the var. magnifica which is distinguished by its 



MIDSEASON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 53 

relatively large, intense violet-purple flowers with the 
edge of the petals crinkled and slightly recurved. 
And, further, I do vigorously protest against the ab- 
surd name of "Butterfly Bush" which some dealers 
would fain foist upon us as a popular name for these 
shrubs. 

As finality is impossible I must omit details 
on some of the more generally known midseason 
flowering shrubs such as Veronica augustifolia, its 
varieties and hybrids, Ceanothus hybridus and others, 
Abelia grandiflora, Amorpha canescens and certain 
other plants, yet I must have a word or two on those 
favorite low-growing shrubs, the Ling and Hardy 
Heaths. People other than those of Scotch descent 
have a warm affection for these charming little 
shrubs and there is no valid reason why this fondness 
should not be indulged. Ling and Heaths are sun- 
loving plants and their successful culture demands 
that they be planted in open situations fully exposed 
to the sun. A moist, sandy soil in which peat is liber- 
ally admixed are the other requisites, and the plants 
thrive better in shallow than in deep soils. The 
hardiest of the Heaths are Erica carnea and its variety 
alba which commence to blossom in early spring as the 
snow and frosts disappear. The Cornish Heath, 
E. vagans and its varieties albtty grandiflora, and rubra. 



54 aristgv:rats of the garden 

and the Ling {Calluna vulgaris) of which there are 
more than a dozen varieties, are almost equally hardy 
and commence to flower in July and continue in 
blossom until the late autumn. Other Heaths like 
E. Mackaiiy E. strida, E. Tetralix, E. cinerea (Downy 
Heath) and Doboecia polifolia (Irish Heath) are not 
hardy as far north as Boston, Mass., but they will 
probably thrive south of New York City. 




Clematis montana var. rubens, about three inches across, is an 

attractive vine with rose colored flowers. It is not quite hardy 

in New England 



CHAPTER IV 

THE BEST OF THE HARDY CLIMBING 
SHRUBS 

PERMANENT VINES FOR TRELLIS AND WALL THAT WILL 
GIVE A SUCCESSION OF FLOWER TO LATE FALL 

ONE of the fundamental properties of the living 
substance of plants and animals (protoplasm) 
is irritability or sensitiveness — the power of 
responding to external stimuli. The class of plants 
under consideration here owes its origin to this pe- 
culiar property, and the most casual among us may 
derive both pleasure and instruction from observing 
this irritability in operation. Twining stems and 
other organs specially adapted for the purpose of 
assisting plants to climb are very sensitive to con- 
tact. Further, if the necessary contact or external 
stimulus be denied the growth of many climbing 
plants is retarded. For example, when the young 
shoots of Pole Beans commence to elongate and cast 
round as it were (nutate) for some support every 
gardener and farmer knows that poles must be afTixed 
or the crop of beans will be a failure. In the forests 

65 



56 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and thickets where climbing plants grow wild their 
associate plants are seized upon and forced to assist 
these climbers in rearing themselves against gravity 
toward the sunlight. 

A majority of our hardy woody climbers, for ex- 
ample Wistaria, Actinidia, Celastrus, chmb by means 
of twining stems. In a number the stems coil in a 
definite direction and refuse absolutely to be cajoled 
into twining in any other direction. For example: 
the shoots of a common European Woodbine {Loni- 
cera Caprifolium) twine from right to left (clockwise), 
those of the Dutchman's Pipe {Aristolochia durior) 
twine from left to right (counter-clockwise). The 
why of this is outside our immediate discussion but 
that it is fact may be proven by all who will take the 
trouble to examine these plants. 

Another large group climbs by means of tendrils 
which are specially modified organs. In the Grape- 
vine (Vitis) an abortive inflorescence developed from 
the side of the shoot opposite the leaf is the specially 
adapted climbing organ. The closely allied Boston 
Ivy {Parthenocissus tricuspidata) has the free ends of 
the tendril flattened into discs which firmly adhere to 
walls and rocks. In Smilax the stipules are modified 
to form tendrils. In Clematis the stalk of the leaf 
and leaflets serves the purpose. In another group to 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 57 

which belongs Ivy (Hedera Helix), Climbing Hy- 
drangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) and Evonymus radi- 
cans, short roots are freely emitted everywhere on the 
stem on the side away from the light and these adhere 
tenaciously to the object affording support. In the 
Trumpet-flower (Campsis) the shoots twine somewhat 
and also emit roots but only from definite localized 
points. Other plants like certain Roses climb or 
chng by means of hooked prickles. 

These facts are not merely interesting in themselves 
but are of direct practical importance to all who wish 
to enjoy in their gardens climbing plants since they 
indicate clearly the nature of the support needed by 
each group. 

It is the fashion nowadays to erect in the immediate 
vicinity of the house a heavy, massive structure of 
masonry or wood and style it euphemistically a per- 
gola. As to its merits as an architectural feature I have 
no criticism to offer. In lands of perennial sunshine 
like southern California, Arizona, and other dry 
southern states, such arbors clothed with climbing 
plants dowered with ample foliage afford welcome re- 
lief and serve as cool and delightful retreats from the 
hot sun's rays. But in northern lands such structures, 
if intended primarily for the accommodation of 
climbing plants, would certainly look more attractive 



58 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and be equally serviceable if constructed on a less 
massive scale. To my mind the dominant features in 
any and every garden should be the living plants 
themselves, and structures erected for their accommo- 
dation should be subordinate to the requirements of 
the plants. As an illustration, some friend invites us 
to view his or her Rambler Roses. Now it is the 
Roses we admire and it is intended that we should 
admire them, and not the structure on which they 
cling, no matter how costly or architecturally beauti- 
ful this structure may happen to be. Simplicity 
combined with mechanical stability should be the 
sine qua non of all structures intended for the accom- 
modation of climbing plants in the garden or the im- 
mediate precincts of the house. 

Neat posts made of reinforced concrete and firmly 
inserted fifteen to eighteen feet apart in the ground 
with stout copper or galvanized wire run through 
make a lasting trellis which if ten feet high will serve 
for all the perfectly hardy stem and tendril-climbing 
plants. Climbers so planted display their beauty to 
the best advantage and this arrangement will form an 
excellent screen to the garden or it may be so affixed 
as to form an avenue or arbor. Note, however, that 
it is said those "perfectly hardy" for be it remembered 
that on a trellis the plants are fully exposed to the 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 59 

elements and especially to the strong winds and 
draughts which are far more trying than low tempera- 
tures. Under the lee of a stone fence is the ideal site 
for planting climbers of all sorts and a far greater 
number will thrive under such conditions than on a 
trellis. Hook-climbers and many stem-climbers do 
well and look most effective if planted among or on 
top of large boulders where they can develop into a 
dense tangle. On such rocks if planted at the base 
root-climbers and those which have discs at the ends 
of their tendrils do well. Root-climbers also thrive 
on the north and west sides of buildings and likewise 
on trees. If climbers be planted with the intention of 
their ascending and wandering over trees it should be 
borne in mind that sooner or later it means the death 
of the tree by strangulation and suffocation. 

Climbing plants are found nearly all over the world. 
They are especially abundant in the tropics where 
they form a most striking feature in the forests. They 
are also plentiful in moist forests of the temperate 
regions of both hemispheres but they are absent from 
alpine and arctic regions. Broadly speaking, it may 
be said that they occur everywhere where trees and 
large shrubs grow and the more moist the climate the 
more exuberant their growth. Always they grow in 
association with other woody plants which afford 



60 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

them not only means of support but protection from 
cold, chilling draughts. In eastern North America 
there are many native climbers of great beauty and 
ornamental value and the variety available for the 
embellishment of gardens situated in cold northern 
districts is much greater than many suppose. A 
selection of these I now propose to pass in brief re- 
view. 

Unquestionably the most beautiful of all climbers 
hardy in cool temperate regions is Wistaria, every- 
where so deservedly popular and widely cultivated. 
Now the name Wistaria was given in 1818, by the 
American botanist, Nuttall, to an American plant 
(W. frutescens), which had been in cultivation in 
England since 1724, as Glycine frutescens, in honor of 
an American physician Dr. Caspar Wistar, Professor 
of Anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania. In 
1818, John Reeves, an officer of the English East 
India Company, sent from Canton, China, to England, 
a climber which received the name Glycine sinensis. 
In 1825, De Candolle, a Frenchman, correctly referred 
this plant to Nuttall's genus Wistaria. To-day, and 
for many decades past. Wistaria and Wistaria sinensis 
have been synonymous in the popular mind. Indeed, 
comparatively few people know that here in eastern 
North America there are native species of Wistaria, so 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 61 

completely has their oriental relative surpassed them 
in popular appreciation. 

The Chinese Wistaria is native of the eastern part 
of China and is not completely hardy as far north as 
Boston, Mass. It requires some protection and this 
is usually afforded by planting it against houses. 
Even then in severe winters the flower buds get killed. 

In scenes of Japanese gardens and temple grounds 
and in Japanese paintings and embroideries most 
people are familiar with a Wistaria having very long 
racemes of flowers. This plant is known generally as 
Wistaria multijuga but is really only a garden form of 
the common wild Wistaria of Japan (W. floribunda) 
and correctly should be called W. floribunda, var. 
macrobotrys. The type is abundant on the mar- 
gins of moist woods and thickets and especially 
by the side of streams, ponds, and ditches vir- 
tually all over Japan and has racemes of pale purple 
flowers one and one-half feet long. In Japanese 
gardens forms with white and pinkish flowers with 
racemes two and two and one-half feet long are 
cultivated, and also a purple-flowered form with 
racemes which I myself have measured sixty-four 
and one-half inches long! These plants are always 
grown by the side of ponds and streams and the stems 
trained to form an arbor, and it is unlimited water 



62 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

supply during the time of flowering that accounts for 
the phenomenally long racemes. Did we in New 
England attempt to cultivate this plant in the Jap- 
anese manner I fear King Frost would play sad 
havoc and the results would be less satisfactory than 
those we at present achieve. But farther south the 
plan would doubtless succeed, and even in the north 
some simple means of providing the plants with an 
abundant water supply as the flower buds expand 
could be found. 

The Japanese Wistaria was introduced into Europe 
about 1870-2, but seeds were received in this country 
by Samuel Parsons of Flushing, Long Island, in March, 
1862, from Dr. George R. Hall. It is hardier than its 
more widely known Chinese relative and therefore 
deserves to be more generally cultivated in the north. 
The flowers are slightly smaller and open rather later 
but are fragrant and equally beautiful. The white, 
purple, and pinkish forms are equally hardy and may be 
grown in the manner as the Chinese species usually 
is or on a trellis. There is also a form with ugly 
double purple flowers. This was first cultivated in 
this country in the garden of Francis Parkman, the 
historian, at Jamaica Plain, Mass., in 1862, having 
been received from Japan through Mr. F. Gordon 
Dexter. 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 63 

The Japanese Wistaria is erratic in the matter of 
flowering and if raised from seeds decades may pass 
before any flowers appear. Grafts from flowering 
plants should be used in propagating and by this 
means plants only three to four feet tall will blossom. 

One of the most vigorous, hardy, and popular of 
all stem-climbers is Actinidia arguta, a native of 
Japan, which has glossy green leaves with red stalks 
and small, saucer-shaped white flowers with numer- 
ous stamens and black anthers. There are two forms 
of this and all other species of Actinidia, one with 
purely male flowers and another with perfect flowers. 
The latter bears fruits which are edible and which 
may be made into a preserve. Two other hardy 
Japanese species of Actinidia (A. kolomikta and A. 
polygama) are in cultivation and in these a varying 
number of the foliage leaves are white passing to pink- 
ish and increase the attractiveness of these plants. 
Unfortunately cats have a strong partiality for A. 
polygama, clawing and tearing it into shreds, and good 
examples are rarely seen. Those desiring to grow 
this climber must protect it from cats by wire netting. 
The handsomest of all the Actinidias and one of the 
most beautiful of all climbers is A. chinensis and it is 
much to be regretted that this valuable new plant is 
not hardy so far north as Boston, Mass. It is a vig- 



64 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

orous grower with large leaves varying in shape from 
nearly round to ovate and pointed, and large white, 
changing to buff-yellow, deliciously fragrant flowers. 
The shoots and leaves when young are covered with 
crimson hairs which add much to the beauty of the 
plant. The fruits are rounded to oval, from one and one- 
half to two inches long, russet-colored and more or less 
hairy. The skin of the fruit is very thin and the flesh is 
green, sweet, and pleasant to the palate, and is ex- 
cellent for dessert or for making a preserve. In 
the south and west there is a future for this Actinidia 
not only as an ornamental but also as a fruit-bearing 
climber. Although discovered in China by Robert 
Fortune in 1846, it was not introduced until 1900, 
when I first sent seeds to England. 

A comparatively new, hardy, and very beautiful 
plant is Tri pterygium Regeliiy with brown, spotted 
stems, bright green leaves, and large clusters of small 
white flowers which are followed by curious, winged 
fruits. It is native of Japan and Korea and so also 
are Schisandra chinensis, Akebia lobata, and A. quin- 
ata. These are hardy stem-climbers with good foli- 
age, rather inconspicuous flowers, and ornamental 
fruits. Very free-flowering climbers in June are 
Periploca graeca from southeastern Europe and P. 
sepium from northern China which have glossy green 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 65 

leaves and curious purplish flowers with recurved 
petals with horn-like outgrowths at the base: The 
Chinese plant is the hardier. The Supple-Jack 
(Berchemia scandens) from the southeastern states 
and its Japanese relative B. racemosa are hardy and 
have neat, deep green prominently veined leaves, 
small greenish flowers, and bunches of red changing 
to shining black fruits. 

The native Waxwork {Celastrus scandens) and its 
relatives C. articulafa and C. flagellaris from north- 
east Asia and Japan are good trelhs plants but they 
are seen to best advantage as a tangle on and over 
large rocks. The first two have the male and female 
flowers on different plants but in C. flagellaris, which 
has little hooks at the base of the leaf-stalk that assist 
it to climb, the sexes are on the same individual. 
In the autumn when laden with yellow fruit which 
opens and exposes the seeds with their brilliant 
orange-scarlet coverings, there are few plants of equal 
beauty. If branches be cut just as the fruits com- 
mence to open and placed in vases without water the 
ornamental value is retained throughout the winter. 
The best of the three species is C. articulafa. 

For planting against low walls and on rocks the 
Matrimony-vines (Lycium chinense and L. halimi- 
folium) are very useful and in late summer and 



66 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

autumn when laden with their conspicuous scarlet 
fruits they are very attractive. 

A very beautiful twining plant but one not always 
easily established is Polygonum haldschuanicum from 
central Asia. It grows eight to twelve feet tall and 
produces masses of white flowers which change to 
pink with age. Its near relative P. multiflorum, from 
China and Japan, is a much more vigorous grower 
with larger clusters of flowers but it is not nearly so 
hardy and cannot be grown out of doors as far north 
as Boston, Mass. 

Among the American species of Honeysuckle there 
are several good hardy climbers but the best is Loni- 
cera Heckrotti, a hybrid of unknown origin. From 
the middle of June until the early frosts appear this 
plant is in blossom. The flowers which are borne in 
clusters, are deep rose color without and pale yellow 
within and though fragrant only in the evening they 
are very beautiful. Very vigorous growers are L. 
flava and L. glaucescens, with yellow flowers; L. pro- 
lifera (better known as L. Sullivantii) with yellowish 
flowers; and L. sempervirens with scarlet flowers; 
L. hirsuta has hairy leaves and flowers with a yellow 
tube and orange-red lip; and the hybrid L. Brownii 
and its form fuchsioides have wine-colored flowers. 
The European Honeysuckles or Woodbines, (L. Per^ 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 67 

iclymenum of which there are several varieties one 
of which var. belgica, known as the Dutch Honey- 
suckle, is continuous blooming) and L. Caprifolium 
are or ought to be well-known favorites. Hall's 
semi-evergreen Japan Honeysuckle (L. japonica, var. 
Halliana) needs no comment and even more beautiful 
is the Chinese variety (L. japonica, var. chinensis) 
with red-colored young shoots and leaves. The 
Chinese name for this plant, Chin-yin-hwa, i. e., Gold 
and Silver flower, is singularly appropriate. Many of 
these Honeysuckles are very subject to the attacks 
of a black aphis and they can only be kept in good 
condition by careful spraying with an antidote early 
in the season as the leaves unfold. 

The Trumpet-flower (Campsis radicans, better 
known as Tecoma radicans), a native of Missouri and 
Texas to Virginia, is a common and much appreciated 
climber. The variety praecox and the hybrid C. 
hybrida are also valuable plants, but these are in size 
and beauty of flowers surpassed by their Chinese 
relative C. chinensis, though unfortunately it is much 
less hardy. In the Chinese plant the flowers are 
orange-scarlet and the shade is more pleasing than 
that of the American kinds. All are vigorous grow- 
ers with shining green divided leaves and they climb 
by means of tufts of roots emitted from the stem oppo- 



68 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

site the base of the leaf stalks. Closely allied to this 
is the Cross-vine (Anisostichus capreolatus, better 
known as Bignonia capreolata) so abundant in the 
southeastern states, and which has large trumpet- 
shaped flowers orange-yellow within the tube, dark 
scarlet without. This plant which climbs by means 
of tendrils which have discs at the ends, is not hardy 
around Boston though with care it can be kept alive. 

A root-climber that should be in every garden is 
the Climbing Hydrangea (H. petiolaris). It is per- 
fectly hardy and does well on walls with a north or 
west exposure, on buildings and on trees, and bears 
at the ends of short lateral branches flat clusters 
eight to ten inches across of white flowers. The 
leaves are of good size, deep green in color and the 
plant is not subject to insect attacks or disease. This 
climber is abundant in the moist forests of Japan and 
was introduced into the Arnold Arboretum in 1876. 
I have seen in the forests of northern Japan and in 
Hokkaido trees from seventy to eighty feet tall 
covered with masses of flowers of this Hydrangea and 
a most fascinating picture they presented. 

A smaller growing Japanese climber and even more 
beautiful than the preceding but unfortunately less 
easy to establish, is Schizophragma hydrangeoides. 
It is very like the Climbing Hydrangea in foliage and 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 69 

habit but the inflorescence on the outside has pure 
white ovate bracts instead of four-partite sterile 
flowers. This plant does well at Newport, R. I., 
but is difficult to procure. The name appears in 
most catalogues of nursery stock but the plant sup- 
plied under this name is almost invariably the Climb- 
ing Hydrangea. 

Clematis has more variously colored flowers than 
any other genus of hardy climbers. There are species 
with white, blue, pink, scarlet, claret-red, and yellow 
flowers and their flowering season is from the early 
summer until autumn. They are excellent subjects 
for trellises, low walls and arbors but it should be re- 
membered that these plants are fond of lime. The 
large star-shaped flowers of the Japanese C. patens, 
and C. florida which also grows in China, and the 
Chinese C. lanuginosa; the European C. Viticellay 
their various colored garden forms; and the Jack- 
mani hybrids which are mixtures of all three, capti- 
vate the attention wherever seen and all garden lovers 
desire to possess them. The white flowered C 
montana from eastern Asia is an old favorite. A 
variety of this (C. montana, var. rubens) with rose- 
colored flowers from two and one fourth to three inches 
across and dark foliage, which I had the pleasure of 
introducing to cultivation in 1900, is acclaimed by 



70 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

garden-lovers to be one of the most beautiful of all 
the Clematis. Around Boston it has not proved com- 
pletely hardy; but at Newport, R. I., some good ex- 
amples may be seen. The white-flowered C. Fargesii 
and the summer-blooming C. montana, var. Wilsonii 
with large fascicles of flowers are also desirable plants. 
In June blossoms C. tangutica, which has pale green 
leaves and lovely clear yellow top-shaped flowers, and 
is a native of northwestern China; also the scarlet- 
flowered C. coccinea from Texas. Another hardy 
species from northern China is C. glauca. This and 
its variety akebioides have bronzy yellow obconical 
flowers which are produced in August. In early 
September the Japanese C. apiifolia is a billowy mass 
of small white flowers and its well-known fellow 
countryman, C. paniculata, is quite indispensable. 
This list could easily be extended but it includes the 
best and most easily grown kinds which supply a suc- 
cession of flowers over the full period of summer. 

Of climbing plants with handsome leaves no class 
exceeds in vigor and beauty the Grapevines (Vitis). 
Many beautiful species are native of this country, 
but the noblest of all is V. Coignetiae from northern 
Japan. This Vine has broad heart-shaped leaves of 
enormous size and much substance, dark green and 
netted above with a felt of brown hairs on the under- 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 71 

side and in autumn they change to scarlet and crim- 
son. It is the most vigorous of Hardy Vines and 
in the moist forests of northern Japan chmbs to the 
tops of trees sixty feet and more tall, and in the thick- 
ets, glades, and on the margins of woods and swamps, 
makes an impenetrable jungle. The fruit is jet 
black, globose and edible and the plant is one to 
which breeders of new fruits might well turn their 
attention. This climber is very common in the 
colder parts of Japan and I shall long remember its 
exuberant growth and vivid autumn coloring as I 
saw it around Lake Towada in early October, 1914. 
Another equally hardy species but less vigorous 
and with smaller leaves is V. amurensis from eastern 
Siberia. From China, western gardens have recently 
received a number of new and ornamental species 
of Vitis and in England they have become very popu- 
lar. Unfortunately they have not proved quite 
hardy in this country as far north as Boston, Mass. 
but there is ample room to the south on this Atlantic 
seaboard not to mention the Pacific slope. Perhaps 
the most beautiful of these newcomers is V. Davidii 
(more usually called Y. armata) and its variety 
cyanocarpa (better known as Veitchii), which have 
prickly shoots and large glossy metallic green, heart- 
shaped pointed leaves pale on the underside and 



72 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

changing in the autumn to scarlet and crimson. 
Other good sorts are V. reticulata, V. betulifoliay V. 
pentagona, V. Piasezkii with variously incised and 
lobed leaves, V. flexuosa, var. parvifolia (commonly 
known as var. Wilsonii) with small lustrous me- 
tallic green leaves and V. Romanetii with bristly 
shoots. 

Temperate North America is remarkably rich in 
species of Vitis and in the Arnold Arboretum no 
fewer than fourteen are perfectly hardy on the trel- 
lises. All are good and it is not easy to make a selec- 
tion. Among the handsomest are V. cinerea, V. 
hicoloTy and V. Doaniana. The first-named grows 
wild on the river banks of the Mississippi Valley 
from Illinois to Kansas and Texas. It is a most vig- 
orous plant with leaves dark green above, ashy gray 
below and, like the young shoots, clothed when they 
unfold with a felt of gray hairs. The second species 
is native of the northern and middle states and is 
equally vigorous and has large deeply lobed leaves 
which are dark green above and bluish green below. 
The third is a comparatively new plant, native of the 
Texas Panhandle but is quite hardy and fast growing 
with large rather pale bluish-green leaves of very 
firm texture. Other beautiful Vines are the Summer 
Grape (V. aestivalis) with the leaves rusty-brown on 



HARDY* CLIMBING SHRUBS 73 

the underside; the Frost Grape (V. cordifoUa) with 
thin light green leaves; the Sugar Grape (V. rupesfris) 
with small, shining metallic green leaves and reddish 
shoots; and V. labrusca, the common Fox Grape of 
New England. For covering trellises and walls the 
native Grapevines are invaluable and their merit 
deserve the widest recognition. 

Three most widely grown climbers are the native 
Virginia Creepers {Parthenocissus vitacea, P. quinque- 
folia) and the Boston Ivy (P. tricuspidata, better 
known as Ampelopsis Veitchii) a native of China and 
Japan, and all three are remarkable for the brilliant 
autumn colors of their leaves. The hardiest of the 
trio is P. quinquefolia, which in nurseries is usually 
sold under the name of Ampelopsis Englemanii. This 
is hardy as far north as Ottawa, Canada, and clings 
to walls and buildings by means of discs at the ends of 
the tendrils. There are several varieties, the best, 
known as San Paulii, is common in Illinois and Mis- 
souri. In Europe P. quinquefolia is little known and 
there P. vitacea passes for it. This, however, is a 
very different plant and will not cling to walls but 
with its shining green leaves and rich autumn tints it 
is a splendid plant for trellis-work. Two other 
beautiful but less hardy species from China are P, 
Henryana, which has a white stripe down the centre 



74 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of each lobe of the leaf, and P. Thomsonii with reddish 
leaves claret-purple on the underside. 

In foliage the most delicate and attractive and in 
fruit among the most beautiful of all climbers is 
Ampelopsis aconitifolia and its variety palmiloba. 
The leaves are finely dissected and the fruit which is 
freely produced changes as it ripens from yellow to 
blue and pale purple. The closely allied A. humuli- 
folia, A. micans, A. heterophylla and A. brevipedun- 
culata, all from China, have clear turquoise blue fruits. 
A remarkable species is A. megalophylla, a new-comer 
also from China, with much divided leaves a yard 
across. 

Among the Birthworts (Aristolochia) are several 
hardy climbers well worth growing for the sake of 
their foliage; mention may be made of A. tomen- 
tosa and A. durior (better known as A. sipho) whose 
curious flowers gave origin to its vernacular name of 
Dutchman's Pipe, natives of eastern North America, 
and their relatives A. moupinensis from western 
China and A. Kaempferi from Japan. The flowers of 
these plants though not conspicuous are very interest- 
ing and their fertilization is effected by flies. 

The Moonseeds too have fine foliage, and their 
curiously ridged and curved seeds are enclosed in 
fleshy blue-black fruits. Three species are hardy, 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 75 

viz: the Canadian Moonseed {Menispermum cana- 
dense)y eastern Siberian (M. dauricum), and the Chi- 
nese {Sinomenium acuium). A closely allied twiner 
is Cocculus trilobus (better known as C. Thunhergii) 
native of China and Japan which is remarkable for the 
variability in shape of its leaves. 

The native Greenbriers (Smilax rotundifolia and S. 
hispida)y with their Japanese relative S. Sieboldii and 
two or three other species, are interesting as being the 
only hardy woody climbers in one great division of the 
vegetable world to which belong the Palms and 
Grasses and which is designated by botanists Mono- 
cotyledons. 

Species of evergreen climbers are few in number 
in the north temperate regions and none occurs in 
the cold northern parts of this continent. In the 
Arnold Arboretum the only really hardy and satisfac- 
tory evergreen climber is the Japanese Evonymus 
{E. radicans) and its variety vegetus. These are root- 
climbers and do well on walls and trees and like other 
plants of their class form a bushy growth when old 
enough to produce flowers. The axillary short- 
stalked clusters of greenish-white flowers appear in 
late June and are followed by white fruits which open 
and display in marked contrast the seeds with their 
orange-scarlet coverings. The type has narrowly 



76 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

ovate pointed to lance-shaped leaves; the variety 
vegetus obovate to broadly oval leaves rounded at 
the apex, dark green and (in the winter in particular) 
glossy. This variety, which is a better garden plant 
than the type, was raised in the Arnold Arboretum 
from seeds received from Sapporo, Hokkaido, in 
1876. In both of these plants a variegated condition 
often appears though it is more frequent in the type. 
In the juvenile stage these plants have marbled leaves 
and look very different from the adult condition. A 
prostrate plant sold in nurseries as E. kewensis or 
E. minimus with small broadly oval, marbled leaves 
is nothing but a juvenile form of E. radicans, var. 
vegetus. It originated from seeds collected in Japan by 
Professor Sargent in 1892. 

A new and hardy Honeysuckle (L. Henryi) from 
China is a welcome addition to the small list of ever- 
green climbers. The clustered flowers are tubular, 
reddish within and yellow stained red without but 
are not very conspicuous and these are followed by 
dull black fruits. The leaves are dark green of good 
size and substance and keep their color through the 
winter. This plant makes a fine tangle over rocks 
or on the bare ground, but is not very satisfactory 
on a trellis around Boston. 

In milder climates south of Boston, Mass., the 



HARDY CLIMBING SHRUBS 77 

common Ivy {Hedera Helix), of which there are many 
distinct and striking forms, should be cultivated. 
This plant ranges through Europe, northern Africa 
and northern Asia to Japan and is extremely poly- 
morphic. The varieties amurensis, chrysocarpa, col- 
chictty crenata, deltoidea, rhombea and canariensis 
(Irish Ivy) are among the best. There are also 
many variegated forms and those who like such plants 
may indulge their fancy. The new Clematis Armandi 
from central China with white flowers, and its form 
Farquhariana with pink flowers, should be especially 
useful in the south and on the Pacific Slope. The 
three-foliolate leaves are dark polished green and the 
flowers each two to three inches across are freely 
produced in large axillary clusters. For gardens 
situated where a genial climate prevails I count this 
Clematis among the most desirable and beautiful 
of plants I have been privileged to introduce into cul- 
tivation. 



CHAPTER V 

ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND 
SHRUBS 

ABUNDANCE OF AVAILABLE MATERIAL TO GIVE BRIL- 
LIANCY AND CHARACTER TO AMERICAN GARDENS 
DURING FALL AND WINTER 

LOVERS of woody plants who live in eastern 
North America enjoy certain advantages over 
<M their British compeers and for these the much- 
abused climate is responsible. In New England and 
the north generally, we are denied the wealth of hardy 
evergreen plants which thrive in Old England and the 
variety of plants which will grow out of doors is less, 
but there are compensations. The plants that do 
thrive here grow more rapidly, flower more freely, and 
fruit very much more profusely than they do on 
the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing 
strikes a horticulturist from Great Britain more 
forcibly than the wealth of fruit which here de- 
velops on the shrubs and trees. Such visitors find 
that many old and familiar plants possess a world of 
beauty heretofore quite unknown to them, and certain 
it is that all the perfectly hardy woody plants put 

78 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 79 

forth their maximum ornamental qualities in this 
climate. 

The full value of trees and shrubs for their orna- 
mental fruits is not properly appreciated at the pres- 
ent time, otherwise a more extensive variety would be 
planted. A great number, as for example : the Honey- 
suckles, Dogwoods, Viburnums, Crabapples, and 
Wild Roses, also have strikingly beautiful flowers. 
The utilitarian spirit has been keen on developing and 
cultivating trees and shrubs bearing edible fruits, but 
aesthetic taste has rather neglected those of purely 
ornamental value. We shall get round to a proper 
appreciation of these later, and in due time in planting 
our shrubberies and borders we shall inquire not 
merely what kind and color of flowers a woody plant 
has but also the color and character of its fruit. In- 
deed, to make sure of these facts the tendency to visit 
notable collections and see for ourselves will grow 
stronger, and less and less will garden lovers be content 
to accept opinion second hand. The increased love 
of and for gardens now happily evident in this coun- 
try will not always be satisfied with the very limited 
variety of good shrubs and trees commonly purchas- 
able but will insist that those who make a business of 
supplying these plants keep in stock an all-round 
selection of the most valuable and really hardy orna- 



80 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

mental woody plants. As interest and knowledge in- 
crease the intrinsic value of Arboreta will become ap- 
parent and the educational import of such institutions 
will receive its proper recognition from a discerning 
public who will duly appreciate the advantages de- 
rived from the experimental testing of the hardiness, 
adaptability, and ornamental qualities of all the avail- 
able material which has been culled from the utter- 
most parts of the world. 

Every flowering plant produces fruit, and in char- 
acter and form the variety is infinite. In this chap- 
ter we are only concerned with such hardy woody 
plants as bear succulent fruits all of which on ripening 
assume more or less brilliant colors. In the develop- 
ment of the flower and in the perfecting of the fruit 
Nature's objective is definite. It may be set forth as 
an axiom that in the diversity of form among flowers 
Nature's endeavor is mainly to insure their fertiliza- 
tion through the agency of the insect world : in the per- 
fecting of the succulent fruit it is toward making it 
attractive to birds so as to insure through their agency 
the dispersal of the seeds. Dame Nature is prodigal, 
but although she apparently cares nothing for the in- 
dividual she lavishes endeavor on securing the perpet- 
uation of the species and the safety of the race. 

This cooperation invoked by Nature opens up 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 81 

another interesting field. Nowadays people are begin- 
ning to appreciate the feathered world and pubhc 
opinion is aroused to the necessity of preserving our 
birds. Societies have been formed with this object 
in view and laws have been promulgated for the 
furtherance of this purpose. Far and wide the habit 
is spreading of fixing up boxes of various designs to 
serve as nesting places for our feathered friends. All 
this is very laudable, but something more is necessary 
since birds require food, and especially during the 
winter months, as well as houses in which to rear 
their young. The natural food of a great number of 
our useful birds is in part or wholly the fruits of plants. 
Therefore, whosoever plants trees and shrubs bearing 
succulent fruits also provides the birds with a supply 
of food. 

The United States Department of Agriculture is 
giving attention to this important matter and in 
March, 1914, one of the investigators visited the 
Arnold Arboretum for the purpose of studying the 
plants growing there which might furnish birds with 
winter food. "His examination revealed the fact 
that fleshy fruits of the sort eaten by birds were still 
hanging on the branches, and in good condition, of one 
hundred and ten species of woody plants, and that the 
fruit on fifteen other species, although dry, was still 



82 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

available as bird food. Of these one hundred and 
twenty-five species only forty-nine are natives of the 
United States and only thirty of New England." I 
quote the Bulletin of the Arnold Arboretum, and it 
will be remembered that the winter of 1913-14 was one 
of the severest recorded for this part of the world. 

Among succulent fruits, black and white and all the 
colors of the spectrum are represented but, in contrast 
with flowers, the colors are usually pure. Vari- 
colored fruits are almost non-existent although among 
crabapples, plums, cherries, and their kin the color may 
vary on different sides of the same fruit. Yellow- 
colored flowers are very abundant, but yellow fruits 
are decidedly rare among hardy northern plants. In 
flowers botanists do not regard mere color as of dis- 
tinctive importance but with fruits in general it is of 
considerable and often significant value. 

In eastern North America, even for the cold climate 
of New England, there is available a vast array of 
woody plants which bear succulent, bright, colored 
fruits. A great many are native and others have 
come from Europe and Asia and more especially from 
China and Japan. Of shrubs the most important 
family hardy in the northeastern part of North 
America is probably the Honeysuckle family which in- 
cludes not only Climbing and Bush Honeysuckles but 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 83 

that beautiful group known as Viburnum and also the 
Snowberries (Symphoricarpos) and Elderberries 
(Sambucus). This family is closely followed and per- 
haps equalled by that of the Rose which includes trees 
as well as shrubs. The more important members are 
the Hawthorns (Crataegus), the Crabapples (Malus), 
the Rowan (Sorbus), Plums and Cherries (Prunus), 
Blackberries and Raspberries (Rubus), Cotoneaster, 
and the Rose itself. In these two families black and 
white and all the cardinal colors except green occur. 
Next in order may be placed the Dogwood family and 
the single genus Cornus has black, white, red, and 
blue fruits on its different species. The Gooseberry 
and Currants (Ribes) have not only black, white, red, 
yellow, purple, and wine-colored but also green or 
greenish fruits. The only other hardy shrub I can 
think of with greenish-colored fruit is the native 
Leatherwood {Dirca palustris). Perhaps the most 
popular family of berried plants is that of the Holly 
(Ilex) which has red, black, and yellow fruits. Then 
there are the Barberries with red, black, and purple 
fruits; the Spindle-tree (Evonymus) and Waxwork 
(Celastrus), which belong to the same family, have 
white, pink, red, and orange-colored fruits which open 
and display the seeds with their orange or scarlet 
covering. The Ivy and R^amnus families mostly 



84 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

have black fruits; the Mulberry and its relative the 
Hackberry (Celtis) black, white, red, and orange- 
colored fruit. The Spicebush {Benzoin aestivale) has 
scarlet fruit and the Sassafras, black fruit seated in a 
scarlet-colored cup. The Elaeagnus and its allies 
have red or orange-red fruits; the Blueberries (Vac- 
cinium) black, blue-black, and red fruits. The 
native Persimmon {Diospyros virginiana) has orange- 
colored and the Tupelos (Nyssa) mostly blue-black 
fruits. The Asiatic Corktree (Phellodendron) has 
black and many of the Sumachs (Rhus) red fruits. 
Lastly, mention may be made of Symplocos panicu- 
lata, a native of the Far East, which has clear tur- 
quoise-blue fruit. 

The fourth chapter deals with climbing plants, so 
they are excluded from what follows and attention 
is concentrated on trees and shrubs. Perhaps it will 
conduce to clearness if we divide our subject into 
groups denoted by color, but it is well to remember 
that such grouping must often be a little arbitrary. 

RED FRUITS 

Under this general heading may be classed a large 
and attractive group whose conspicuous and hand- 
some fruits are striking at any season but are especially 
so in winter. Among native trees and shrubs un- 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 85 

doubtedly the most beautiful are the Hawthorns 
(Crataegus) whose decorative value is not fully 
realized. The number of species is very great and 
some are low shrubs and others large trees; the fruit 
varies greatly in size and in the length of time it re- 
mains on the branches. In a group so large selection is 
onerous but the six which follow, though equalled 
by others, are not surpassed by any. The so-called 
Washington Thorn (C. cor data) is a slender tree, 
from twenty to thirty-five feet tall, with a small and 
shapely crown and clusters of small scarlet shining 
fruits which ripen in October and remain on the tree 
without much change in color until the spring. In C. 
nitida, which is a large tree with spreading slightly 
pendulous branches, the scarlet fruits are of medium 
size in drooping clusters, ripening in October and re- 
maining on the trees until winter is far advanced. A 
remarkably handsome species is C. Arnoldiana with 
large bright crimson fruits ripening about the middle 
of August and falling in September. This is a small 
tree with ascending and spreading branches and slender 
very zigzag branchlets which form a broad irregular 
crown. Crataegus succulenta is a shrub or small tree 
with a broad irregular head and drooping clusters of 
moderately large, globose, bright scarlet fruits which 
ripen about mid-September and remain on the 



86 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

branches until the middle of November. Another 
shrub or slender tree is C. pruinosa with horizontally 
spreading branches and large, sub-globose purple-red 
fruits in clusters ripening late in October and remain- 
ing on the branches until about the end of November. 
The Cockspur Thorn (C. crus-galli) is a moderate-sized 
tree with rigid, spreading branches and drooping 
clusters of fairly large sub-globose dull red fruits which 
ripen late in October and remain on the branches until 
spring. Mention must also be made of C. punctata 
which has drooping clusters of large sub-globose fruits, 
dull red or bright yellow in color and which ripen 
and fall in October. This well-known Hawthorn is 
a moderately flat-topped tree with stout, straight 
spreading branches and is widely distributed from the 
St. Lawrence Valley to North Carolina and to Illinois. 
The best known of the Old World Hawthorns are 
C. Oxyacantha and C. monogyna of which there are 
very many varieties and in which dull red-colored 
fruits predominate. A species from northern China 
and Mandshuria (C. pinnatifida) with red fruits is one 
of the best of all Hawthorns. The wild form is a 
medium-sized shrub with relatively small fruits, but 
this species has long been cultivated as a fruit tree 
in orchards in northern China and by cultivation it 
has developed into a tree with large and edible fruit. 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 87 

Closely allied to Crataegus is Sorbus Aucuparia, the 
Mountain Ash or Rowan-tree, and when laden with 
its broad flat clusters of small bright scarlet fruits has 
no peer among ornamental fruited trees. There are 
several varieties including a form with pendulous 
branches and another with yellow fruits. Scattered 
over the north temperate regions are several species 
closely allied to the foregoing, and in this country 
grows S. americana and its large fruited variety 
decora^ possibly the most beautiful of all. 

The Flowering Dogwood {Cornus florida), appreci- 
ated as one of the most beautiful of native trees of 
small size, is also strikingly handsome in the fall when 
laden with its scarlet teat-like fruits in close heads. 
The Old World Cornus mas bears red cherry-like fruits, 
hence its vernacular name, Cornelian Cherry. There 
is a variety of this (xanthocarpa) with yellow fruit. 

The English Holly (Ilex Aquifolium) with its bright 
red berries and shining green leaves and so celebrated 
in poetry and folk-lore is not hardy around Boston, 
Mass., but farther south it may be grown and there is 
no more beautiful evergreen tree. Among its very 
numerous varieties is one (fructu-luteo) with yellow 
fruits. The native Holly (/. opaca) with dull green 
leaves is a hardier but inferior tree from an ornamen- 
tal viewpoint. The native Black Alder or Winter- 



88 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

berry (7. verticillata), its ally /. laevigata, and the 
Japanese I. Sieboldii are hardy shrubs with deciduous 
leaves and strikingly beautiful with their clusters 
of scarlet fruits. Of the Winterberry there is a 
variety {chrysocarpa) with yellow fruits and of /. 
Sieboldii a variety {fructu-albo) with white fruits. 
Closely allied to these is the Mountain Holly {Nemo- 
panthus mucronatus), a common shrub in the swampy 
woods of New England, with dull crimson fruits on 
slender stalks and neat foliage. 

A very attractive small tree is the Chinese Evony- 
mus Bungeanus which bears in great profusion 
stalked clusters of pink capsules. There are several 
other Spindletrees with pinkish and reddish fruits, 
and one that ought to be in every garden is E. alatus, 
a native of the Far East. This is a large, wide-spread- 
ing shrub with corky-winged branches and red fruits, 
and the leaves assume in autumn intense shades of 
red and crimson. 

The lime-loving Buffaloberry {Shepherdia argentea) 
and S. canadensis, and their relatives the Sea Buckthorn 
{Hippophae rhamnoides) and the Oleasters, of which 
the hardiest are Elaeagnus longipes, E. umbellata, E. 
multiflora, and E. angustifolia, which is a slender tree 
with silvery Willow-like leaves, are a group of fasci- 
nating plants worthy of the widest recognition. 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 89 

Provided they be given sufficient room to develop, 
no shrubs are more beautiful in fruit than the Bush 
Honeysuckles of which there is a great variety. 
The best with red fruits hails from the Old World 
and none is more handsome than Lonicera Morrowii, 
native of northern Japan. This is a fairly large 
growing shrub with spreading branches and bears in 
enormous quantities bright crimson berries which 
ripen in early July and remain on the branches until 
winter. The common Tatarian Honeysuckle (L. 
tatarica), which ranges from southern Russia to 
central Asia and of which there are many varieties, 
still remains one of the best. Another old and valu- 
able species is L. Ruprechtiana native of northeast 
continental Asia. Others are L. Xylosteum with wine- 
colored fruits, native of Europe, Asia Minor, and 
western Siberia and L. chrysantha, with lustrous crim- 
son fruits, from northeastern Asia. These five 
species have long been in cultivation in Europe and 
this country and have given rise to numerous hybrids 
more beautiful even than themselves. Among the 
best of these with red fruits are L. muscaviensis and L. 
muendeniensis. The former originated in a nursery at 
Muskau in Silesia from seeds received from the 
Petrograd Botanic Gardens and is considered to be a 
hybrid between L. Ruprechtiana and L. Monowii. It 



90 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

is a large shrub twelve feet high and more in diameter 
with arching and spreading branches and masses of 
crimson fruits which ripen early in July. The latter 
is a mixture of L. tatarica, L. Morrowii, and L. 
Ruprechtiana which originated in the Botanic Garden 
at Muenden in central Germany. It is also a large 
shrub with erect-spreading branches, rather small 
leaves, and scarlet berries. 

Smaller growing plants with spreading and droop- 
ing branches and bright scarlet fruits are L. thibetica, 
L. syringinantha, and its variety Wolfii from western 
China. Two other handsome sorts which ripen their 
dark scarlet fruits late in the fall are L. Maackii from 
northeastern Asia and its variety podocarpa from 
central and western China. These are large shrubs 
ten to fifteen feet tall and as much in diameter. 

Many kinds of Barberry have red fruits but none is 
more handsome than the native Berberis canadensis 
with pendent masses of scarlet fruits. Almost equally 
beautiful is the aUied B. vulgaris. The crimson fruits 
of the favorite B. Thunbergii, which are borne singly 
from the leaf-axils, are very attractive and so too are 
the racemose, salmon-red fruits of B. sinensis and the 
red fruits of the vigorous growing B. amurensis. A 
low-growing and decidedly valuable plant for rockeries 
in particular is the new B. Wilsonae from the Chino- 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 91 

Thibetan borderland, which bears globose, briUiant 
salmon-red fruits. 

The Highbush Cranberry {Viburnum americanum) 
is one of the most conspicuous of red-fruited native 
shrubs and in this respect is more ornamental than its 
close allies V. Opulus from Europe and V. Sargentii 
from northeastern Asia. Two Japanese species (V. 
Wrightii and V. dilitatum), both medium sized shrubs, 
ought to be grown for their lovely fruits. The red- 
fruited Elderberry {Sambucus racemosa) of northern 
Europe and western Asia is also a desirable shrub 
especially for planting in moist places and by the 
sides of ponds. Its relative {S. callicarpa) from 
western North America and northern Japan is, as 
I saw it in August, 1914, one of the finest of native 
shrubs in fruit. 

The Old World genus Cotoneaster includes some of 
the most beautiful of all berried plants and many of 
them are suitable for rockeries. From China, which 
is the headquarters of the genus, gardens have re- 
cently received many valuable additions. Among the 
best are the low-growing C. horizontalis, its small- 
leaved variety perpusilla, C. adpressa, and the trailing 
C. Dammeri; of the moderate sized species, C. distichay 
C. diuaricata, C, hupehensis, C. multiflora, C. racemi- 
flora, C. racemiflora, var. soongorica, C. bullata and its 



92 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

variety macrophylla. These are all perfectly hardy 
shrubs and worthy of a prominent place in every gar- 
den. Farther south the evergreen C. salicifolia and its 
varieties floccosa and rugosa ought to be grown. 
And so too should be the European Buisson ardent 
{Pryacantha coccinea), its variety Lalandii, and 
Chinese relative P. crenulata, all with bright scarlet 
fruits. In China the various kinds of pheasants are 
very partial to the fruits of these shrubs and those in- 
terested in rearing these birds should plant both 
Cotoneaster and Pyracantha as a source of winter 
food for them. 

ORANGE AND YELLOW FRUITS 

Only a few hardy woody plants have yellow or 
orange-colored fruits, and a number of these are va- 
rieties of types with red fruits, some of which men- 
tion has already been made. Among the Bush 
Honeysuckles are several with yellow or pale orange 
fruits such as Lonicera Ruprechtiana, var. xanthocarpa, 
L. tataricay f. lutea, and L. minutijlora. The last- 
named is a hybrid between L. micrantha and L, 
Morrowii and with its translucent pale-orange fruit is 
one of the most beautiful of the genus. There is also 
a form of the European Guelder Rose (Viburnum 
Opulus, var. xanthocarpum) with yellow fruit, and 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 93 

also a number of species of Gooseberry and Currant 
(Ribes). The American Persimmon {Diospyros vir- 
giniana) has orange-colored fruits which become 
blackish purple when dead ripe. 

But if pure yellow and orange are rare colors among 
fruits they are common in combination with red as in 
plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, and other comes- 
tible fruits. Of ornamental fruited trees and shrubs 
having fruits red and yellow in varying degrees and 
shades the most important are the Asiatic Crabapples. 
However, as a later chapter is devoted to these beauti- 
ful plants I refrain from entering into the subject 
at this time beyond remarking that in fruit they are 
highly ornamental and that the fruits persist on the 
branches until spring. Birds are remarkably fond of 
these fruits and every bird lover should contrive to 
have a few of these plants in his (or her) garden or on 
his (or her) estate. 

BLACK FRUITS 

This group in size ranks next to that of red fruits, 
and in many of its members the fruits as they ripen 
assume various shades of red before becoming finally 
black. Among trees the Asiatic Corktrees (Phello- 
dendron) bear annually a wealth of shining black 
fruits. These are quick-growing medium-sized 



94 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

perfectly hardy trees with handsome bark, spreading 
branches, and large dark green pinnate leaves and 
they are not subject to disease or insect pests. Five 
species are growing in the Arnold Arboretum: P. 
sachalinense, P. Lavallei, and P. japonicum from 
northern Japan, P. amurense from northeastern con- 
tinental Asia and P. chinense from central China. 

In the Ivy family, besides Kalopanax ricinifolium 
described in Chapter III, there are many black- 
fruited plants such as the native Hercules Club (Ar- 
alia spinosa) and its Asiatic ally (A. chinensis), with 
much divided yard-wide leaves and broad clusters 
of small fruits. Also Acanthopanax sessiliflorum and 
A, spinosum which are large-growing shrubs with 
globose heads of fruit, native of northeastern Asia, 
and the smaller Chinese species A. Henry i. All 
these love a cool, moist situation. Most of the 
Rhamnus belong to this group and many of them 
like R. davuricus, R. Frangula, and the Common 
Buckthorn (R. catharticus) fruit profusely and retain 
their berries far into the winter. A particularly 
handsome species is R. alpinus with large deep green 
strongly veined leaves and which makes a large 
bush. 

The Canadian Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), 
so abundant in moist places throughout New Eng- 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 95 

land, and its variety maxima, remarkable for its 
enormous flat masses of flowers, are very beautiful 
with their lustrous fruits and so is S. pubens of 
which there is a variety (leucocarpa) with yellowish 
fruits. A number of Viburnums, both native and 
exotic, have black fruits and many of them are de- 
sirable shrubs. Among the best of the native 
species are V. pubescens, the Arrow-wood {V. aceri- 
folium), and the Hobble Bush {V. alnifolium, often 
called V. lantanoides) . The last named is a lovely 
shrub with large leaves but unfortunately it dislikes 
cultivation and the same is true of its close ally, V. 
furcatum, from northern Japan. Of exotic species 
perhaps the best in fruit is the Japanese V. Sieboldii, 
a large bush or slender tree thirty feet tall, with large, 
prominently nerved bright green leaves and large 
pyramidal clusters of jet-black fruit. When it fruits 
freely the popular V. tomentosum (often called V. 
plicatum) from Japan is very beautiful. Other good 
sorts are the European Wayfaring Tree (V. Lantana), 
its Chinese relative V. Veitchii, and the evergreen 
V. rhytidophyllum with remarkably long wrinkled 
leaves felted on the underside. Belonging to the same 
family are several Bush Honeysuckles with lustrous 
black fruits of which mention may be made of the 
European Lonicera nigra, the Chinese L. nervosa. 



96 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and L. involucrata from western North America. The 
last named has jet-black fruit on a fleshy crimson 
receptacle. 

The Privets (Ligustrum) all have black fruits and 
the hardiest of all and the most beautiful in fruit is 
the European L. vulgare, here and there naturalized 
in this section of America, and its variety foliosum. 
These most desirable shrubs have large shining black 
fruits in clusters and ought to be generally planted 
in the colder parts of this country in preference to their 
less hardy Asiatic relations which have dull-colored 
fruits. 

Many members of the great Rose family also be- 
long to this group and in fruit none is more beautiful 
than the native Chokeberry, (Aronia melanocarpa, its 
varieties grandifolia and elata, and A, atropurpurea.) 
Another species (A. arbutifolia) has red fruits. 
Among the Cotoneasters with black fruits are C. vul- 
gariSy C. nitens, C. moupinensis, C.foveolata, C. lucida, 
C. acutifoliay and its variety villosulay all strong grow- 
ing, free fruiting shrubs. 

The Inkberry (Ilex glabra) and its Japanese rela- 
tive, /. crenata, are two valuable and hardy evergreens 
with small glossy leaves and stalked black fruits. 

Among Barberries most of the evergreen species such 
as BerherVs Julianae, B. Sargentiana, B. Gagnepainii, 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 97 

and B. verruculosa have black fruits. The first 
named is the best of the upright growing species 
of this group hardy around Boston, Mass., the 
last named, with prostrate spreading branches and 
small shining holly-like leaves white on the underside, 
is a gem for rockeries. 

BLOOMY BLACK AND BLUE FRUITS 

In addition to the Blueberries (Vaccinium) with 
edible fruits quite a number of the best native shrubs 
have fruits blue-black or black-purple and covered 
with a protective pale waxy bloom, and many of these 
before attaining their final hue pass through stages of 
red and crimson. Foremost in this class rank such 
Viburnums as V. Canbyi, V. dentatum, V. pruni- 
folium, V. rufidulum, V. lentago, and V. cassinoides. 
All are handsome in flower, foliage, and fruit and are 
strong-growing shrubs which cannot be too highly 
praised for planting in the parks and gardens of the 
colder parts of this country. In the last named the 
fruits change from green to pure pink and finally 
to blue-black, and it is one of the most lovely of all 
shrubs. 

The pinnate-leaved Barberries (Mahonia) are a 
charming group unfortunately not very hardy. The 
hardiest is the low-growing M. repens with grayish 



98 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

green leaves, but the most popular is M. Aquifolium 
with glossy leaves which assume fine tints in early 
winter; the Japanese M. japonica is the most vigorous 
grower and has the largest leaves. All have terminal 
bunches of beautiful grape-like fruits. The lovely 
Berberis stenophylla, a hybrid between two South 
American species, with slender arching stems and 
small dark green leaves and perhaps the finest of all the 
Barberries, is, alas! not quite hardy around Boston, 
Mass. 

The blue-fruited Bush Honeysuckle (L. coerulea) 
with teat-like fruits which ripen in June is a very val- 
uable shrub. This plant grows wild in various parts 
of the cold north temperate regions of both hemis- 
pheres and is very variable. The American variety 
{villosa) has palatable edible fruits but the Asiatic 
varieties altaica and graciliftora with bitter fruits are 
more ornamental garden shrubs. 

The native Silky Cornel {Cornus Amomum) and its 
close relative C. obliqua are large-growing shrubs with 
blue fruits. A plant that deserves the widest recogni- 
tion is Symplocos paniculata (better known as S. cratae- 
goides) with turquoise-blue fruits. This is a large 
bush or slender tree and is very common in Japan, 
Korea, and China. It is perfectly hardy around Bos- 
ton, Mass., has good foliage, small clusters of white 



ORNAMENTAL FRUITED TREES AND SHRUBS 99 

flowers with conspicuous stamens, and in the autumn 
it fruits profusely. 

WHITE FRUITS 

The most attractive memoers of this group are the 
native Snowberry Bushes (Symphoricarpos) and the 
Dogwoods or Cornels (Cornus). The former are low 
twiggy plants with small gray-green leaves, insignifi- 
cant pink flowers, and large snow-white berries. The 
best are S. racemosus and its variety laevigatus, C. oreo- 
philus, C. occidentalis from the northern middle 
states, C. Heyeri from Colorado, and S. mollis from 
California. Another species, familiarly known as the 
Coralberry (S. orbiculatus), has red-purple fruits and 
is very attractive around Christmas time. Among 
the best of the white-fruited Cornels are the native 
Cornus racemosa (better known as C. candidissima), a 
twiggy shrub of moderate size; C. circinata (often 
called C. rugosa), which is a large bush or low tree with 
red foot-stalks to the fruits; the hybrid C Arnoldiana, 
which is a fair-sized shrub; and C. stolonifera, the Old 
World C. alba and C. sanguinea, too well known to 
need description. A Bush Honeysuckle {Lonicera 
quinquelocularis) with white or yellowish translucent 
fruits in which the black seeds are clearly visible is 
also worthy of note. 



100 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

In the south and in CaUfornia Pernettya mucronata 
from the Magellanic region of South America, and P. 
rupicola from Chile ought to be grown. These are 
low-growing bushy shrubs and of the former there are 
many fine garden varieties. 



CHAPTER VI 
THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 

THE WONDERFUL COLORING OF THE PASSING LEAVES, 
AND WHAT IT MEANS 

WHEN the beauty of the Aster displaces that 
of the Goldenrod in September; when blue 
and purple transcend the yellow in field 
and border; the deep green mantle of foliage draping 
hill and dale, mountain and ravine, streamside and 
roadside, commences to show signs of portentous 
change. The Pines, the Hemlocks, and their kin look 
even darker as the contrast with their deciduous- 
leaved neighbors becomes stronger. In the swamps 
about the last week of August and at the first whiff of 
autumn in the air the Red Maple begins to assume 
a purplish tint and its example is soon followed by 
other kinds of trees. To all of us the season of the 
year becomes apparent, warning signs of stern win- 
ter's approach increase rapidly and soon the whole 
country puts on its gayest mantle of color. The peo- 
ples of the tropics, where monsoon rains are followed 
by burning heat and where the young unfolding 

101 



102 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

leaves of many forest trees are brightly colored, never 
enjoy the wonderful feast of color displayed in the 
forests and countrysides of this and other northern 
continental areas. They have other things of which 
we may envy them but autumn tints are peculiarly 
our own. The brightly colored Codiaeums of the trop- 
ics and our hot-houses (where they are erroneously 
called Crotons), beautiful as they are, do not equal 
the Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Sassafras, and Tulip 
Tree in the fall. No scene in nature is more delight- 
ful than the woods of eastern North America in the 
fulness of their autumn splendor. 

It is a weakness of humans to crave most those 
things beyond their immediate reach, but the wise 
among us are content to enjoy those which fall within 
the sphere of everyday life. To revel in the splendid 
riot of autumn color no long journey has to be under- 
taken. It is at our very door. From the St. Law- 
rence Valley and the Canadian Lakes southward to 
the Alleghany Mountains there is displayed each 
autumn a scene of entrancing beauty not surpassed the 
world over. Central Europe, Japan, China, and other 
parts of eastern Asia have their own season of autumn 
color and each area has its individuality but, if they 
rival, they cannot surpass the forest scenes of eastern 
North America. 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 103 

But wherefore and why all this gay autumnal ap- 
parel? Is it the handiwork of the charming fairies 
and wood nymphs of our childhood beliefs and 
nursery days? Surely some guiding hand, some benefi- 
cent agency, some lover of mankind must have pre- 
pared the scene as the final tableau of the seasons! 
The talent of the Master Artist is unveiled and the 
picture surpasses the dreams of those who live in less- 
favored areas of the world. 

Those skilled in the mysteries of organic chemistry 
and plant physiology tell us that autumn tints are 
due to chemical changes associated with the storing 
away of food material and the discharge of certain 
waste products. This explanation, though matter 
of fact and disturbing to our youthful belief in fairies 
and wood nymphs, opens up a field of inquiry which 
must tend to enlarge our viewpoint and increase our 
appreciation of Nature's wonderful methods. We 
find that all is governed by laws which act and react 
in such manner as to ensure the end and object de- 
sired. 

Now briefly the autumn metamorphosis is effected 
as follows : 

At the approach of winter, leaves which cannot 
withstand frost cease their function as food factories; 
and the various food substances are conveyed from 



104 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

the leaf-blade into the woody branches or subter- 
ranean rootstock and there stored, chiefly in the form 
of starch, until the season of growth re-commences 
the following spring. The leaves from which every- 
thing useful has been transported form nothing more 
than a framework of cell-chambers containing merely 
waste products, like crystals of calcium oxalate, 
which are thrown off with the leaves and help to en- 
rich the soil. But while the process of food evacua- 
tion is going on other changes take place. In many 
plants a chemical substance known technically as 
anthocyanin is produced in the leaves, and often to 
such an extent as to become plainly visible on the 
exterior. It appears red in the presence of free acids 
in the cell-sap, blue when no acids are present, and 
violet when the quantity of acids is small. In a great 
many leaves the bodies which contain the green color- 
ing matter become changed to yellow granules while 
the evacuation of food substances is in process. 
Sometimes these granules are very few and antho- 
cyanin is absent; then the leaf exhibits little outward 
change except losing its freshness before it falls. 
In others the yellow granules are abundantly de- 
veloped and if anthocyanin is absent, or nearly so, 
the whole leaf assumes a clear yellow hue. If there 
is an abundance of yellow granules together with 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 105 

free acids and anthocyanin, the leaf assumes an orange 
color. Thus the leaf at the period of autumnal 
change, by the presence of these substances in a 
greater or lesser degree, loses its green hue and be- 
comes brown or yellow, crimson or orange, purple 
or red. The play of color is greater according to the 
number of species and individuals associated to- 
gether in a particular spot. But the greatest display 
of color is seen when the neighborhood is sprinkled 
with plants having evergreen foliage, when it often 
happens that a relatively small area of woodland 
and meadow appears decked in all the colors of 
the rainbow. 

The most casual observer knows that all trees 
and shrubs do not assume tinted foliage in autumn. 
Some, like the Alder, the Locust (Robinia), the Elder, 
and most Willows, exhibit little or no change save 
perhaps a number of yellow leaves scattered through 
the green before they fall. But this group is rela- 
tively small and only adds additional contrast to the 
landscape. Again, plants whose leaves are covered 
with silky or woolly hairs or with a felted mat of 
hairs never present any autumn coloring, and in 
those in which the green color disappears the change 
is to pale gray and white. 

In a rather large group of trees, which includes 



106 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

the Walnut, Butternut, Catalpa, Elm, Hickory, 
Chestnut, Horsechestnut, Linden, Buttontree, White 
Birch, and others, the tints are a general mix- 
ture of rusty green and yellow and under favor- 
able circumstances occasionally pure yellow. In the 
Poplar, Tulip-tree, Honey-locust (Gleditsia), Mul- 
berry, Maidenhair-tree (Ginkgo), Beech, and most of 
the Birches, the leaves change to pure yellow of 
different shades. In none of the above-mentioned 
groups is purple or red of any shade developed. 

In favorable years the American or White Ash 
{Fraxinus americana) is unique in its tints, passing 
through all shades from a dark chocolate to violet, 
clear brown, and salmon but it has no reds. 

The Peach, Plum, Pear, Apple, Quince, Cherry, 
.Mountain Ash (Sorbus), Hawthorn, Silver Maple, 
Wild Roses, and Brambles (Rubus) have a predomi- 
nance of green with a slight or considerable admixture 
of purple, red, and yellow, and individuals are fre- 
quently strikingly brilliant. In another group pur- 
ple, crimson, and scarlet with only a slight admixture 
of yellow, if any, obtains. Here belong the Tupelo, 
Scarlet Oak, White Oak, Poison Ivy, Virginia 
Creeper, Sumach, Viburnum, Sourwood, Cornel, Blue- 
berries, and many other plants. A final group, 
to which belong the Red, Sugar, Striped, and Moun- 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 107 

tain Maples, Smoke-tree (Cotinus), Poison Dogwood, 
Sassafras, and the Shadbush or Snowy Mespilus, 
has variegated tints comprising all shades of purple, 
crimson, scarlet, orange, and yellow on the same or 
different individuals of the same species. Often the 
leaves are tinted and sometimes figured like the wings 
of a butterfly. 

Careful observers will note that the gradations of 
autumn tints in all cases are in order of those of sun- 
rise, from darker to lighter hues, and never the re- 
verse. The brown leaves which long persist on some 
trees (Beech, Chestnut, and certain Oaks for example), 
though darker than the yellow or orange from which 
they often turn, are no exception since these leaves 
are dead and the brown is only assumed after vitality 
has vanished. 

Some species are perfectly uniform in their colors; 
others, on the contrary, display a very wide range. 
For example, the Maidenhair-tree, the Tulip-tree, 
and Birch are invariably yellow; the Virginia Creeper, 
Sumach, and White Oak chiefly red ; while Maples are 
of as many colors as if they were of different species. 
But each individual tree shows nearly the same tints 
every year, even as an Apple Tree bears fruit of the 
same color from year to year. 

The Red Maple {Acer rubrum), so abundant in 



108 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

swamp and wood, roadside and on dry hilltop, is the 
crowning glory of a New England autumn. By the 
last week of August it commences to assume a pur- 
plish tint; sometimes a solitary branch is tinted, fre- 
quently the coloring process begins at the top of the 
tree and the purple crown of autumn is placed on the 
green brow of summer. Trees growing side by side 
are seldom alike, and in a group may be seen almost 
as many shades of color as there are trees. Some 
are entirely yellow, others scarlet, some crimson, 
purple, or orange, others variegated with several of 
these colors. Indeed, on different individuals in the 
Red Maple may be seen all the hues that are ever dis- 
played in the autumn woods. The Sugar Maple 
(Acer saccharum), though more brilliant, has a nar- 
rower range of color and is more uniform in its tints 
which range from yellow and orange to scarlet. 

The common Tupelo {Nyssa sylvatica) more in- 
variably shows a mass of unmixed crimson than any 
other New England tree. The foliage first assumes 
shades of purple which change into crimson or scarlet 
before it falls. 

The Oaks, the noblest group of trees in eastern 
North America, assume their autumn tints very late 
and are not at their zenith until after the Maples have 
passed. In the Scarlet, Red, and White Oaks the tints 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 109 

are ruddy, varying from reddish purple and crimson 
to pale red ; and when at their best, after the middle of 
October, these trees are the most beautiful of the for- 
ests or pastures. The Black and Swamp Oaks de- 
velop imperfect shades of orange to leather-colored 
tints. 

In the White Oak, the Beech, the Chestnut, and the 
Red Oak when young the leaves as they die become 
russet-brown and remain on the trees until the spring 
and give a sensation of warmth to the woods and land- 
scape in the coldest days of winter. The period of re- 
tention varies greatly in different individuals; often 
the leaves are retained on the lower branches when the 
upper parts of the tree are bare. 

In England, trees with few exceptions, such as the wild 
Cherries and the Beech, assume no autumn tints com- 
parable with those of their North American relatives. 
Indeed, in England the most varied and brightly col- 
ored tints are found not on the native trees but on the 
Brambles (Rubus). Long ago European trees were 
planted in this section of America and some, like the 
Elm, Linden, and English Oak, have grown to a large 
or moderately large size. In autumn such trees stand 
out very clearly with their mantle of green foliage 
when the native trees present are all tints or have 
shed their leaves. These colonists preserve their 



110 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

green hues until late into October when finally the 
leaves become mottled, yellowish or brownish and 
fall. 

Asiatic trees and shrubs cultivated here assume 
their wonted tints and so also do those of central 
Europe. The trees of Japan and China color with us 
rather later than the native trees and lengthen the 
season fully two weeks. 

Whilst I have dealt primarily with trees as the 
principal objects of admiration in autumnal scenery, 
I must not omit mention of the shrubs which clothe 
the wayside and forest floor, or the climbers which 
drape both bushes and trees or form tangled thickets 
of themselves. It is true that there are more of these 
than there are of trees which do not change color 
materially but remain green until the fall of the leaves. 
But a great many do change very materially, and it is 
interesting to note that reds predominate in the shrubs 
and yellows in the trees. Reds and purples distinguish 
the Cornels, Sumachs, Poison Ivy, Viburnums, 
Virginia Creepers, Fox Grape and others, and yellow 
the Spicebush. Indeed, there is so small a propor- 
tion of yellow in the shrubbery that it is hardly dis- 
tinguishable in the general mass of scarlet, crimson, 
and purple which forms so marked a contrast with the 
unchanged greens of many associate shrubs. In mis- 



THE GLORY OF THE AUTUMN 111 

cellaneous mixed woods, on the contrary, yellow pre- 
vails among trees. 

In Japan, where an intense love of nature is 
innate among all classes, there prevails a custom 
which might well be adopted here. The beauty spots 
in that land are many and are justly celebrated in 
poetry and song: august Fuji with its perfect cone 
and snowy mantle; the Pineclad islets of Matsushima; 
the Inland Sea with its hundreds of islands clad with 
verdure to the water's edge; the Nikko region with its 
mountains and lakes, its waterfalls and woods; and 
hundreds of other places more or less famous, includ- 
ing many noted for their Maples. In October, when 
the woods assume their autumn splendor, children 
from primary and secondary schools, high schools and 
colleges, with their teachers and professors, make ex- 
cursions of three or four days' duration to noted 
places and revel in the feast of color. The railways 
issue cheap tickets and from all the large towns and 
cities children, youths, and maidens journey to the 
mountain woods. Last autumn in the Nikko region 
I saw thousands of scholars — boys and girls varying 
from eight to twenty years of age (and a happy, 
orderly throng they were) — enjoying to the full the 
scenery, breathing in the freshest mountain air, and 
building up healthy minds and bodies. Their joy- 



112 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

ousness was wholesomely infectious and it was good 
to mingle with them. As I look back on the many 
pleasant experiences I enjoyed in that pretty land 
none gives me greater pleasure than the memories of 
those throngs of happy scholars in the woods and 
woodland paths of Nikko, Chuzenji, and Yumoto. 

Autumn tints is a subject that belongs more 
especially to the sphere of the artist than to that of 
the scientist. The poet can sing their song more 
easily than a writer of prose can describe their beauty, 
but on equal plane with all the common folk can 
enjoy the splendor of the autumn colors. Let us then 
at autumn time lay aside for a brief moment the cares 
of daily life, break away from engrossing tasks of every 
kind and linger for a while among the trees and shrubs 
of the roadside and woodland, drink in cool draughts 
of fresh air, and revel in the galaxy of color that benefi- 
cent Nature so lavishly displays on every side. 




As a lawn tree and for ornamental planting generally the 

concolor Fir is the most beautiful of conifers, retaining its 

decorative form for very many years 



CHAPTER VII 
THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 

SOME PLAIN FACTS CONCERNING CERTAIN WELL-KNOWN 

TREES WHICH EXPERIENCE PROVES TO BE OVERRATED. 

THE BEST FEW FOR GENERAL USE 

CONIFERS rank among the patriarchs of the 
vegetable kingdom and in their size, their 
beauty, and their usefulness to man they are 
not surpassed by any other family of trees. In a 
general way every one is acquainted with these cone- 
bearing plants and they are universal favorites. 
The family is distributed from the Arctic Circle 
nearly to that of the Antarctic, and its members are 
abundant in the temperate regions of both Hem- 
ispheres but they are rare within the tropics. One 
genus only, Libocedrus (Incense Cedar), is common to 
the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In longevity 
and massiveness of bulk, the Redwoods of California 
(Sequoia) exceed all other trees, and in height these 
giant Conifers are only approached by the broad- 
leaved Blue Gums (Eucalyptus) of Australia. With 
exception of the Larch (Larix), the Chinese Golden 
Larch (Pseudolarix), the Swamp Cypress (Taxodium) 

113 



114 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and its Chinese relative (Glyptostrobus), all Conifers 
are evergreen; and it is this character, together with 
their noble aspect, that makes them horticulturally 
of such supreme importance. No other tree or shrub 
gives quite the same effect or adds so much restful 
dignity to northern landscapes. Although the fam- 
ily is so universally distributed, many of its members 
are fastidious in their requirements and only a lim- 
ited number thrive in the rigorous climate of New 
England, where hot dry summers and cold winters 
are the rule and where, in March, hot sun and drying 
winds by day are followed by low temperatures at 
night. Such conditions are most inimical; neverthe- 
less, the White Pine {Pinus Strobus) and the Hem- 
lock {Tsuga canadensis), two of the handsomest of 
coniferous trees, are native of that region, and where 
these thrive the lovers of evergreen trees need not 
lack material for their plantations. 

In the early days of horticulture in this country 
it was customary to import from Europe nearly 
everything required — even trees and shrubs native 
of this country. On the whole this experiment has 
not proved a success and in the matter of hardy trees 
(especially Conifers) has occasioned much disap- 
pointment. However, the failures and successes of 
the past are, if rightly appreciated, a wholesome 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 115 

lesson to the present generation of garden lovers 
since the benefits are theirs to enjoy. For the work 
of proving what trees and shrubs, coniferous or other- 
wise, will thrive here we owe a lasting debt to the 
arboreta, to the owners of estates, and to the nur- 
serymen who have labored in this field. Much re- 
mains to be done; but enough has been accomplished 
to enable us at least to avoid some of the mistakes of 
the past. 

In the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Mass., there is 
growing the largest collection of species and varieties 
of Conifers to be found anywhere on this continent, 
and for more than forty years the work of getting 
this collection together and developing it has been 
continuously maintained. In general it has been 
found that the Conifers of northeastern North Amer- 
ica, the Rocky Mountains, northern, central, and 
southeastern Europe, Siberia, northern China and 
northern Japan, are hardy; that only a few of the 
species of western North America can be safely 
planted here; and that those of the southern United 
States, Mexico, Central America, southern China, 
Formosa, the Himalayas, southeastern Asia and the 
Southern Hemisphere in total are not hardy in New 
England. Furthermore, not all the varieties that are 
hardy thrive equally well, and many cannot with con- 



116 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

fidence be recommended for purposes of general land- 
scape planting. The more ornamental of those which 
the experience of the Arnold Arboretum has proven to 
be adapted to this climate I now propose cursorily to 
mention. 

As a lawn tree and for ornamental planting gener- 
ally, the best Fir and one of the most beautiful of all 
Conifers is Abies concolor, native of the southern 
Rockies from Pike's Peak in Colorado to the Shasta 
Mountains in California where it grows two hun- 
dred and fifty feet tall. The Colorado form in 
particular is very hardy, though rarely found ex- 
ceeding one hundred feet in height. It is a tree 
of moderately rapid growth, with leaves pale gray- 
green on both surfaces and flat-spreading branches in 
tabuliform tiers close set one above the other, grad- 
ually diminishing in length from the base to the 
summit. The outline is conical and the branches 
are long retained, and on tre^^s forty years of age 
sweep the ground and promise to do so for many 
years to come. 

A worthy companion to A. concolor is the Japanese 
A. homolepiSy or A. brachyphylla as it is more usually 
called. In Japan this tree grows one hundred feet tall 
and has massive branches which form a broad flattened 
or rounded head, and such trees in aspect resemble old 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 117 

specimens of the Cedar of Lebanon. Young trees in 
habit resemble those of A. concolor, but the branches 
are more narrow and tapering and rather less densely 
arranged. The leaves are grass-green above and 
silvery white below. These two Firs are excellent 
companions, forming a striking contrast in foliage, 
and to admit of their full development they should 
be allowed a radius of not less than twenty-five 
feet. 

In New England Abies cilicica from the mountains 
of Asia Minor, A. Nordmanniana from the Caucasus, 
and A. cephalonica from Mount Enos in the Grecian 
Archipelago are of about the same value. Seldom do 
they thrive equally well in the same locality, one or 
other usually having the advantage. In Great 
Britain the Cilician Fir thrives, but is rare, whereas the 
Nordmann Fir is unsatisfactory as it grows old. In 
appearance these handsome Firs are very similar, 
being narrow conical in outline with rigid, horizontally 
spreading pointed branches and leaves dark glossy 
green above and silvery white beneath. 

Another Fir which thrives very well here is Veitch*s 
(A. Veitchii), native of the mountains of central Japan. 
In a wild state this is a slender tree seldom exceeding 
seventy-five feet in height, with thin, short, spreading 
branches which form a narrow crown. In cultivation 



118 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

the branches are longer than in the wild trees and 
often slightly ascending. The leaves are soft to the 
touch, dark green above and silvery below. 

The Firs delight in a cool soil and climate, but some, 
like A. concolor, are not exacting and withstand 
drought and dry situations very well. All are in- 
tolerant of smoke and soot and for this reason do not 
thrive in cities or near manufacturing centres. These 
remarks apply also to the Spruces, although they are 
slightly less exacting in these matters. 

The Douglas Fir {Pseudotsuga taxifolia) is one of the 
loftiest and most valuable of all coniferous trees and, 
from a horticultural viewpoint, one of the most in- 
dispensable. It has an immense range of distribution 
in the western parts of North America and attains its 
maximum development in the wet regions bordering 
the Puget Sound and on the western slopes of the Sierra 
Nevada, where trees three hundred feet tall with trunks 
nine to twelve feet in diameter occur. This tree was 
discovered on the shores of the Nootka Sound by 
Archibald Menzies in 1792, during Vancouver's voy- 
age round the world, was rediscovered by David 
Douglas in 1827, and introduced into England by him 
the following year. In the mild, moist climate of 
Great Britain this tree of the Pacific slope soon made 
itself at home and in most parts of that land it grows 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 119 

rapidly. From Britain it was introduced into eastern 
North America, but in the colder parts of this country 
it proved to be not hardy. In 1862, it was most for- 
tunately discovered at high elevations in Colorado, 
and seeds from this source have given us a race of 
perfectly hardy and quick-growing trees. In the 
Arnold Arboretum trees forty years of age are fifty feet 
and more tall, and others about fifteen years old are 
eighteen to twenty-five feet tall. The lower branches 
of these trees sweep the ground and the others are in- 
clined upward and have a plume-like appearance. 
The leaves vary from dark green to glaucous. 

The uninitiated may distinguish this tree from all 
other Conifers by its relatively long, conical, sharp- 
pointed winter buds. Either as a lawn tree, or for 
avenues, or for massing, Douglas Fir is equally valu- 
uable and it needs no recommendation. 

Perhaps no Conifer has been received into popular 
favor more readily than the Colorado Blue Spruce 
{Picea pungens), and certainly none has been more 
extensively planted. Lately there has been some out- 
cry against it, but as a young tree it is undeniably 
beautiful. It has taken very kindly to cultivation 
and is very hardy. One cannot object to it on the 
lawns of suburban gardens or even on those of country 
estates; but the indiscriminate manner in which it has 



120 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

been planted by the carload in groups and rows on 
large estates is certainly an offense against good taste. 
This Blue Spruce grows fairly rapidly and when young 
is compact, symmetrical, and handsome; but at an 
early age it loses its lower branches and later becomes 
unsightly. In the Arnold Arboretum there is growing 
a tree raised from seeds collected by Dr. Parry when 
he discovered this Spruce in 1862. This example has 
lost all its lower limbs and has now only a cluster of 
branches near the top and is very far from being an 
object of beauty. Authorities who have seen this 
Blue Spruce growing wild near the banks of streams in 
Colorado tell us that it naturally behaves in this man- 
ner. Those contemplating planting this tree for per- 
manent effect will do well to bear these facts in 
mind. 

Another tree that has been very extensively 
planted is the Norway Spruce {P. Abies or P. ex- 
celsa). This has proved both accommodating and 
quick growing, but in New England, where exposed 
to the winds, the tops of the trees become thin and 
bare. Most of the older trees exhibit this failing 
and there seems little likelihood of it being a long- 
lived subject on this side of the Atlantic. How- 
ever, up to thirty or forty years of age it thrives. 
The branches are wide-spreading, with the lower 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 121 

ones bending downward and sweeping the ground 
and the uppermost slightly inclined upward, and 
all have pendent, whip-like branchlets. The leaves 
are dark green and the aspect of the tree, though 
decidedly sombre, is graceful. 

For the colder parts of this country one of the 
best of all Spruces is the Canadian or White Spruce 
(P. canadensis). This is one of the hardiest of all 
trees and is useful in ornamental and landscape 
planting generally, but is especially so in situations 
where other and less hardy coniferous trees will not 
grow. It is a rather small tree and in the open it is 
conical in outline and well furnished with branches 
from the ground upward. The leaves are short, 
green, and slightly glaucous. 

Another valuable species is Engelmann's Spruce 
(P. Engelmannii), which hails from Colorado and 
has somewhat the appearance of the common Blue 
Spruce but the branches are shorter and flatter and 
the leaves smaller and less glaucous. Specimens in 
the Arnold Arboretum thirty-five years old are nar- 
row, compact, symmetrical pyramids, but unfortu- 
nately they are beginning to lose their lower branches. 
The Serbian Spruce {P. omorika), which was dis- 
covered only in 1872, has taken kindly to cultivation 
here and elsewhere. It grows rapidly and the habit 



122 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

is pleasing; but, unfortunately, it is addicted to 
borers. The leaves are flat, lustrous green above 
and white beneath. 

Lastly, mention must be made of the Oriental 
Spruce (P. orientalis) which is native of the Cau- 
casus and does very well in many parts of this 
seaboard. It is a tree of medium size with hori- 
zontal spreading branches, the uppermost being 
slightly ascending. The outline is pyramidal, broken 
by projecting branches. The leaves at maturity are 
dark lustrous green. In spring the young shoots 
are bright yellow and, as they lengthen, the leaves 
become a soft delicate green, forming a beautiful con- 
trast to the rich coloring of the mature foliage. 

In this climate most of the Spruces have weak 
points, a great many of them lose their lower branches 
at a comparatively early age, and a number of them 
suffer from gall-insects. On the whole, they are less 
satisfactory for ornamental planting than their close 
allies the Firs. 

The common Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is cer- 
tainly one of the finest Conifers for general plant- 
ing. There are several varieties; the best of these 
are Sargentiana, which forms a remarkable dense 
flat-topped bush with pendent branches and branch- 
lets; compada, a densely branched bush, ovoid in 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 123 

outline; microphylla, with loose ascending branches; 
and pendula, with dense spreading branches pendent 
at the extremities. 

The Carolina Hemlock {T, caroliniana) is native 
of the Blue Ridge Mountains of north and south 
Carolina, and of the southern Alleghanies where it 
was discovered in 1850, by Professor L. R. Gibbes. 
It was introduced into the Arnold Arboretum in 
1881, where it grows freely and gives every promise 
of being a most desirable and ornamental Conifer. 
It is a smaller but a more graceful and beautiful 
tree than its northern confrere. 

No trees make a better windbreak than do the 
Pines, and on lawns and for avenues they are most 
effective. The native White Pine {Pinus Strobus) 
is one of the noblest of all Pines and needs neither 
introduction nor eulogy here. Its confrere, P. mon- 
ticola from western North America, is also perfectly 
hardy and grows freely in this climate. So also does the 
Foxtail Pine {P.flexilis), native of Montana, Nevada 
and other parts of western North America. The 
White Pine of the Balkan Peninsula (P. peuke), 
which was discovered in 1839 but was not introduced 
until 1864, is also quite hardy and grows well in this 
country. It forms a narrow pyramidal tree densely 
branched and heavily clothed with bright green leaves. 



124 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Another very satisfactory hardy and highly orna- 
mental tree is the Japanese White Pine {P. parviflora) . 
This species is widely spread in Japan where it grows 
naturally in steep, rocky country. It is also a favor- 
ite tree in Japanese gardens, where it is kept dwarf 
and trimmed and is also often trained into grotesque 
shapes. The Japanese graft this tree on their Black 
Pine (P. Thunbergii), whose remote relationship un- 
doubtedly aids in checking the growth of its leaves 
and branches. Under cultivation in New England 
seedling trees and others grafted on the native White 
Pine are densely branched, and the branches are 
very long, horizontally spreading, slightly upturned 
at the ends and abundantly clothed with gray-green 
leaves. Its habit is different from that of any other 
Pine. 

The Korean Nut Pine (P. koraiensis) also grows 
well and promises to be a more satisfactory tree here 
than its ally, the Swiss P. cembra. 

The Scots Pine (P. sylvestris) and the Austrian 
Pine (P. nigra) in the past have been extensively 
planted in this country. The former has, unfort- 
unately, proved unsatisfactory and the Austrian 
Pine is inferior to the native Red Pine (P. resinosa). 
The latter is one of the best of all Pines in this climate, 
where it ranks among the first half dozen of all Coni- 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 125 

fers and where it ought to be planted in preference to 
any of its relatives. It grows rapidly and in effect is 
dark and massive. 

The Jack Pine (P. Banksiana) and the Scrub Pine 
(P. virginiana) are low-growing species very satis- 
factory in cold regions. For sea-shore planting the 
Japanese Black Pine (P. Thunbergii) is to be recom- 
mended. This Pine is very variable in habit and 
naturally assumes weird and picturesque shapes. 
It is the Pine so commonly depicted on Japanese em- 
broideries, paintings, porcelains and other objects of 
Japanese art. 

Those familiar with gardens in England and 
other countries of Europe will have noted, probably 
with envy, the majestic Cedars of Lebanon {Cedrus 
libani). No tree is more impressive in appearance 
and no other gives quite the same effect as this 
Cedar with its thick trunk, massive spreading and 
flattened or tabular branches, and deep green foliage. 
The originals of these trees were brought from the 
famous groves on Mt. Lebanon in Syria, and the 
oldest in England were planted between 1662 and 
1670. The younger trees and those offered for sale 
by European nurserymen are descendants of these 
original introductions. Unfortunately, this Cedar is 
not hardy in New England but occasional trees may 



126 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

be seen growing in the neighborhood of New York 
City and Philadelphia. 

The Cedar of Lebanon grows also on the Anti- 
Taurus Mountains in Asia Minor, a region more 
northern and colder than that of the Lebanon 
Mountains; and in 1901, the Director of the Arnold 
Arboretum had seeds collected there and these 
were sown in 1902. None of the plants raised 
from these seeds, although planted in exposed situa- 
tions, has ever suffered and some of them are now 
from eighteen to twenty feet tall. The experiment 
promises complete success and there seems every 
possibility of our enjoying a thriving race of Cedar 
of Lebanon which will withstand the winter frosts 
and summer droughts of New England. If this be 
consummated the boon conferred on our parks and 
gardens will be inestimable. 

Neither the Atlas Cedar (C. atlantica) nor the 
Deodar (C. deodara) is quite hardy in New England. 

The Japanese Umbrella Pine {Sciadopitys verti- 
cillatd), with long, dark glossy green leaves arranged 
in whorls, is perhaps the most distinct of all Conifers. 
It is perfectly hardy and delights in a cool, moist 
situation. Young trees vary from narrowly to 
broadly conical in outline and are strikingly beautiful. 
In Japan this tree has a rather limited distribution 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 127 

and grows on rocky slopes mixed with Chamaecy- 
paris ohtusa (Retinispora) and other Conifers, and 
its narrow, plume-Hke crown is thrust well above its 
neighbors. 

Under the popular but misleading name of Cedar, 
and to which the better name of Arborvitae should 
be applied, are grouped a number of valuable and 
decorative Conifers all of which are much alike when 
young. In this stage they are either spire-like, col- 
umnar, conical or narrow pyramidal in outline and 
have dense scale-like foliage of varying hues of green. 
Generally they are regarded as shrubs, but it is well 
to remember that some of them rank among the 
largest and most valuable of forest trees. For ex- 
ample: the Giant Arborvitae {Thuja plicata or T. 
gigantea as it is often called) of western North Amer- 
ica, in the valley of the Columbia River grows 200 
feet tall and has a trunk clean of branches for fully 
100 feet. The story of this tree parallels that of 
the Douglas Fir. It was first discovered on the 
shores of Nootka Sound by Nee, who accompanied 
Malaspina on his voyage round the world (1789-94) 
but it was not introduced until 1853, when William 
Lobb sent seeds to Messrs. Veitch, at Exeter, Eng- 
land. Plants from this source were afterward brought 
tc eastern North America but none proved capable 



128 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of withstanding the New England winters. Sub- 
sequently this tree was discovered in Idaho. Seeds 
obtained from that state have furnished us with a 
perfectly hardy race, which grows freely and possesses 
all the good qualities of an Arborvitae. The branches 
are close set, spreading and much ramified at the 
distal end; the branchlets are slender, often zig- 
zag or curved, and the densely appressed leaves are 
yellowish green on the exposed side and much darker 
on the other. 

The native Arborvitae or White Cedar {T. occiden- 
talis) is a rather small tree seldom exceeding sixty feet 
in height and is usually only from thirty to forty feet. 
The outline is narrow conical or columnar, and the 
foliage light to dull green. This tree is very hardy, 
and under cultivation a great many distinct forms 
have originated, some with yellow and others with 
white variegation, and a number are low growing 
and most compact in habit. The dwarf forms 
will be dealt with later, but it may be stated here 
that the forms of this tree afford the greatest variety 
of hardy Arborvitae that we possess. 

Among the taller-growing kinds worthy of at- 
tention are: Vervaeneana, a smaller and denser tree 
than the type, with young branchlets deep golden 
yellow, changing in winter to brownish orange and 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 129 

finally to green; Wareana, denser in habit with foli- 
age of a deeper and brighter green than the type; 
Wareana aurea, with bright golden-yellow branchlets 
during the growing season; plicata, with short 
branches and rigid, erect branchlets and brownish 
green foliage, and its forms argenteo- and aureo- 
variegata with silver and yellow branchlets; lutea, 
which is pyramidal and columnar in habit with 
bright yellow and orange-yellow young branchlets; 
and pendula, with rather slender branches bending 
downward, tufted branchlets and green foliage. 

The Chinese Arborvitae (Thuja orientalis), which is 
a small tree from twenty-five to thirty feet tall and col- 
umnar or pyramidal in outline, is not hardy in New 
England. It has been in cultivation in Europe since 
1752, and has given rise to many forms which re- 
semble but are not superior to those of the native 
Arborvitae (T. occidentalis) . 

Another Arborvitae {Chamaecyparis thyoides), na- 
tive of the swamps from Maine southward to north- 
ern Florida, is very hardy and worthy of recognition. 
It is a slender tree from sixty to eighty feet tall, with 
short, thin, spreading branches which form a spire-like 
crown, and very small scale-like, imbricated dull 
bluish green leaves, which turn rusty brown in winter. 

Of late years the so-called dwarf trees of Japan have 



130 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

attained wide popularity both in this country and in 
Europe. One of the commonest of these is an Arbor- 
vitae, usually known as Retiniipora obtusa nana and 
correctly as Chamaecyparis obtusa, var. nana. These 
dwarfed trees are the outcome of Japanese gardeners* 
skill and this variety is of garden origin; but the type 
(C. obtusa) is one of the loftiest and most valuable of 
Japanese forest trees. At maturity it is one hundred 
and fifty feet and more tall, with a large clean trunk and 
wide-spreading branches forming a rounded or flat- 
tened crown; but in a young state the branches are 
slender and flat and spread horizontally; the outline 
is narrow pyramidal and the effect light and graceful. 
The leaves are dark green. This beautiful Conifer is 
perfectly hardy in New England and nurserymen 
would do well to procure a stock of seeds and raise it 
in quantity. In Japan it is very extensively used for 
reforestation. Its close ally (C. pisifera) is equally 
hardy and, when young, very distinct with its ascend- 
ing-spreading, rather plumose branches. At maturity, 
however, it is not easily distinguished from C. obtusa, 
which it equals in size and approximates in the value 
of its timber. 

Like other Arborvitaes the Japanese kinds have 
given rise to numerous forms variegated and other- 
wise. Those of C. obtusa are all low-growing, but 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 131 

most of those of C. pisifera grow tall. Among the 
best of these are: aurea, in which the whole of the 
current season's growth is rich golden yellow and 
changes to green the following year; sulphurea, simi- 
lar but of a paler hue; plumosQy very dense in habit 
and strictly conical in outline and with dark green 
leaves; plumosa albo-pida has the tips of the branch- 
lets creamy white; in plumosa argentea nearly the 
whole of the young growths are creamy white and be- 
come green the following year; in plumosa aurea they 
are light golden yellow changing as the season ad- 
vances to deep green ; squarrosa is irregular in outline, 
densely and intricately branched, and has short, 
pointed, pale bluish green leaves. 

Thus far I have dealt only with tall-growing Coni- 
fers but in gardens large and small there is a demand 
for low-growing sorts and particularly since there are 
so very few broad-leaved evergreens hardy in this 
climate. Fortunately, among Conifers there are 
dwarfs in great variety, some of them sports from free 
forms and others good species. Of the White Pine 
(Pinus Sirobus) there is a variety (nana) which is a 
small, compact, roundish, bushy shrub with short 
slender branches and leaves shorter than in the type. 
The common and variable Mountain Pine of the Alps 
and other parts of Europe (P. montana, often known 



132 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

as P. pumilio or P. mughus) is well known and highly 
esteemed; but the Japanese Table Pine (P. densifloray 
var. umbracuUfera) deserves wider recognition for it is 
one of the best of the low-growing Pines. This is a 
round or broadly oval bush with thin branches and 
gray-green leaves and is common in gardens in Japan, 
where it is known as Tanyosho. Another, and dwarf er 
form, is known as Bandaisho. 

Among Spruces, perhaps the best dwarf is Picea 
Abies, var. Clanbrassiliana, a low-growing, dense and 
compact shrub with bright green leaves. Another 
good variety of this Spruce is Gregory ana, which seldom 
grows more than one to two feet high and is very dense 
in habit. Other good sorts are nana, Elwangeri, 
pumila, and procumbens. Of the common Blue 
Spruce (P. pungens) there is a dwarf variety which 
makes a round-headed bush. 

The greatest variety in dwarf or low-growing Coni- 
fers is found among the Junipers and the Arborvitaes. 
Among Junipers which make an excellent ground 
cover are J. chinensis, var. Sargentii and J. procumbens 
from Japan, J. squamata from China, and J. hori- 
zontalis common near the sea in parts of Maine 
and elsewhere and one of the most beautiful of all 
with its blue-green foliage and charming habit. As 
bushes, distinct and attractive in habit, J. chinensis, 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 133 

var. Pfitzeriana with bluish green foHage and J. 
virginiana, var. tripartita have much to recommend 
them. 

Among the dwarf forms of the Japanese Arborvitae 
(commonly called Retinispora) the best are Cham- 
aecyparis pisifera, var. filifera, with thread-like pen- 
dent branchlets, and its golden form aurea; Chamaecy- 
paris obtusa, var. gracilis; the var. nana, one of the 
handsomest of all, and its form aurea. The variety 
leptoclada of the native Chamaecyparis thyoides is a 
pleasing shrub but the majority of our dwarf Arbor- 
vitae are forms of the native Thuja occidentalis. 
Among the best of these are umbraculifera, recurva 
nana, Tom Thumb, Woodwardii, Reedii and Little Gem, 
the last named perhaps the finest of them all. 

The Junipers are usually regarded as shrubs of low 
growth but some are trees of some magnitude, though 
only two or three of these are hardy here. The com- 
mon Red Cedar {Juniperus virginiana), so character- 
istic of open landscapes in eastern North America, 
needs no introduction. When young it is usually col- 
umnar in outline; the leaves vary from green to 
glaucous and there are numerous varieties, some of 
them variegated. 

The Chinese Juniper (/. chinensis) is a tree from fifty 
to sixty feet tall at maturity, when it is broadly pyra- 



134 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

midal in outline and very densely branched. When 
young it varies from columnar to conical. It is per- 
fectly hardy and may be recognized by the branchlets 
bearing two forms of leaves. Another valuable 
Juniper is J. rigida from Mandshuria, Korea, and 
Japan. This has long, needle-shaped, pungent leaves, 
spreading or pendent branchlets, and is columnar or 
narrow conical in outline. Very similar to the last 
named is the tree form of the Common Juniper (J". 
communis) and its variety oblong a, with rather pen- 
dulous branchlets. Junipers often suffer from attacks 
of red spider and should be sprayed occasionally with 
some antidote. 

The Larches are valuable timber trees and all have 
deciduous leaves, which as they unfold in the spring, 
are a peculiarly vivid green. The native Tamarack 
or Hackmatack (L. laricina), although a denizen 
of swamps, also grows well on dry hillsides. The 
European Larir. decidua and the Japanese L./Cae/np/en* 
have also proved adaptable to this climate. 

A tree deserving of wider recognition in this country 
is the Chinese Golden Larch (Pseudolarix Kaempferi), 
It is perfectly hardy and very ornamental and in every 
way a most suitable subject for lawns and parks. The 
branches are long and spread horizontally; the rela- 
tively long, pea-green leaves are deciduous and assume 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 135 

in the fall clear yellow tints. In the Hunnewell 
Pinetum at Wellesley, Mass., there is growing a par- 
ticularly fine specimen which has ripened perfect 
seeds. This tree is a native of eastern China south of 
the Yangtsze River but very little is known concerning 
its appearance in a wild state, notwithstanding the 
fact that it has been known since 1804. 

Although properly speaking not Conifers, the 
Maidenhair-tree {Ginkgo biloba), the Yews (Taxus), 
and their allies are usually associated with that family 
in the popular mind and for horticultural purposes 
may be so considered. In some respects the Ginkgo 
is the most interesting of living trees since it is a relic 
of an ancient flora which flourished during the 
Mesozoic Age. Fossil remains, apparently identical 
with the living tree, have been found in western North 
America, in Greenland, in the London clays of Eng- 
land, and elsewhere. At one time it was probably 
common in north temperate lands of both Old and New 
Worlds but to-day it no longer exists in a wild state 
and we owe its preservation to the religious sanctu- 
aries of China and Japan. It is a very hardy, quick- 
growing, long-lived tree, attaining a height of one hun- 
dred feet with a trunk twenty feet in girth and thrives 
equally well in city or countryside. Its outline is ra- 
ther variable but usually it has rather long, spreading 



136 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

branches slightly inclined upward and each, when 
laden with foliage, somewhat plumose in appearance. 
The leaves are deciduous and resemble closely the 
leaflets of the Maidenhair Fern and in the autumn 
change to pure yellow before they fall. This noble 
tree is unhke any other and none exceeds it in beauty 
or dignity. 

The English Yew (Taxus baccata) and its varieties 
brown badly during our winters and are not really hardy 
in Massachusetts; and the native Yew {T, canadensis) 
of woodland swamps often suffers in the same way when 
planted in open situations. The Japanese Yew (T*. 
cuspidata), on the contrary, keeps its color unimpaired 
and is the Yew par excellence for New England gar- 
dens. An eminent authority maintains that this is 
the most valuable plant that Japan has contributed 
to New England gardens, and few, if any, will at- 
tempt to gainsay this. The foliage is blackish green 
and the plant is handsome on lawns and makes an ex- 
cellent hedge. Most of the plants in cultivation have 
been raised from cuttings and only occasional ex- 
amples show signs of developing into trees. When 
raised from seeds, however, a distinct leader is usually 
developed from the beginning. 

In Japan this Yew has a very wide distribution and 
grows in moist forests in the extreme north of Hok- 



THE BEST HARDY CONIFERS 137 

kaido. At its best it is a shapely tree fifty feet tall 
with a thick trunk and wide spreading branches, but 
on exposed mountain slopes it is reduced to a low 
shrub. In cultivation there is a dwarf variety (nana) 
with wide-spreading branches which possesses all the 
good qualities of the type and is most suitable for 
planting when low evergreen shrubs are desired. 



CHAPTER VIII 

BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS FOR NORTH- 
ERN GARDENS 

THE PLANTS OF THIS CLASS THAT CAN BE GROWN ARE 
COMPARATIVELY FEW BUT INCLUDE SOME GOOD NATIVES 

IN THE late autumn and throughout the winter, 
the gardens of New England present a marked 
contrast to those of Old England in that their 
habitants, save the Conifers and the Yews, are bare 
of leaves. There is a nakedness about our gardens 
which emphasizes the dreariness of the winter season. 
We have so few hardy, broad-leaved evergreen 
shrubs, and no trees; whereas in Great Britain they 
have many and there is a greenness and freshness 
about their gardens at all seasons of the year. We 
cannot help envying them their good fortune in be- 
ing able to grow out of doors and with no trouble a 
wealth of plants which are ever clothed in restful 
green. Climate alone is responsible and since this 
is beyond human control, the garden lovers who 
live in the colder parts of eastern North America 
must bow to the inevitable. Tall-growing broad- 
leaved Evergreens belong to the warm, temperate, 

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BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 139 

and torrid parts of the earth and, with few excep- 
tions, are not found in the cold, temperate, and arctic 
regions. 

In a subsequent chapter the Rhododendrons, the 
noblest group of hardy broad-leaved flowering Ever- 
greens, will be dealt with in detail, and here we 
may review carefully the remaining field in order 
to find out just what is our position in the matter of 
hardy broad-leaved evergreen plants. The regions of 
the world where possible hardy types of these subjects' 
grow have been pretty well ransacked and the chances 
of New England gardens securing any notable addi- 
tions are remote. China which has so bountifully 
supplied us with favorite flowers during the past 
hundred years and more, has contributed very little to 
our list of hardy broad-leaved Evergreens. North 
Japan has been fairly liberal and one or two have 
come to us from Europe, but the great majority are 
native of American soil If the whole of this coun- 
try were under consideration, it would be found that 
more such Evergreens can be grown out of doors here 
than in the whole of Europe. Indeed, this is true if 
the Pacific Slope alone be considered, but such favored 
regions are outside of this purview. 

In New England and southward to Washington, 
D. C, the case is very different and it is only after 



140 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

years of trial that gardeners learn just what plants can 
withstand the hot, dry summers and cold, changeable 
winters characteristic of these parts of eastern North 
America. The Arnold Arboretum is the only place 
in this country where data on the comparative hardi- 
ness of woody plants, covering a long period of years, 
is to be found. For this reason, this chapter is based 
on the experiences of that institution. Here and 
there in gardens, even in the neighborhood of Boston, 
Mass., a plant thrives which is not hardy in the Arn- 
old Arboretum. Nevertheless, this Arboretum is the 
safest guide for all desirous of growing hardy woody 
plants in the colder parts of the United States of 
America. Very probably some reader has in his (or 
her) garden some broad-leaved Evergreen not men- 
tioned here and this should be a source of joy, for the 
list in its extreme limits is all too scant. 

We who garden in the cooler parts of eastern North 
America may envy those of warmer climes their var- 
iety of broad-leaved Evergreens, yet in the native 
Mountain Laurel {Kalmia latifolia) we possess one 
plant that has no superior. The foliage is good 
at all seasons and in mid-June the broad, dome-like 
clusters of bowl-shaped flowers, either pure white, or 
silvery to deepest pink, make a wondrous picture. 
Truly the Mountain Laurel is in early simimer the 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 141 

glory of woodland and hill slope, and is the most 
beautiful of evergreen shrubs native of eastern North 
America. Many Asiatic Rhododendrons have larger 
leaves and larger and more brilliantly colored flowers, 
but of all the broad-leaved evergreen plants which can 
be grown successfully in this climate, Kalmia latifolia 
is the handsomest and most satisfactory. There is a 
variety (alba) with pure white flowers and another 
(rubra) with deep pink, nearly red flowers and rather 
dark leaves. Between these extremes there are forms 
with flowers of all shades of pink and there is one 
(fuscata) with flowers conspicuously marked by a 
chocolate band. Another variety (polypetala) has the 
flowers segmented into narrow lobes, but this plant is 
not very ornamental. The variety obiusata, which 
rarely flowers, has broad, handsome. Rhododendron- 
like leaves. Lastly, there is a dwarf variety (myrti- 
folia) with small leaves and small clusters of minute 
flowers. All these varieties are sports from the wild 
type and have all been found on wild plants. By 
hybridization and selection it is highly probable that 
new and improved forms could be evolved. In the 
matter of soil and situation, the Mountain Laurel is 
not exacting, but it is fond of leaf mould and an 
autumnal mulch of leaves is beneficial. Like other 
members of the great Heather family, it detests lime- 



142 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

stone. This Kalmia is essentially a social plant and 
when massed together is most effective. 

The two other Kalmias {K. angustifoUa and K, 
glauca) hardy in this climate are much less ornamental 
but are likewise evergreen. The former, familiarly 
known as the Sheep Laurel, is common in swampy 
places from Maine to Georgia and westward to Wis- 
consin. It is a branching shrub growing from 
a foot to a yard tall, and has dull olive-green leaves 
and clusters of crimson-pink flowers. It is popu- 
larly believed to be poisonous to sheep. The other 
species, known as the Pale Laurel has much the same 
distribution. It is a twiggy and smaller plant with 
flattened stems, narrow leaves with recurved edges 
and white on the under side and has terminal clusters 
of pale lilac to crimson-pink flowers. It is essentially 
a moisture-loving plant. Closely related to the Pale 
Laurel and very similar in habit, foliage, and general 
appearance is Andromeda polifolia. This is a low 
shrub from one to two feet tall, with slender stems and 
small clusters of pinkish urn-shaped flowers and is 
distributed through the cold, temperate, and sub- 
arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. 

Another very hardy member of the Heath family 
is Pieris floribunda (better known as Andromeda Jlori- 
bunda), which opens its small, white. Heather-like 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 143 

flowers at the first burst of spring. This plant is 
native of the higher slopes of the southern Appalachian 
Mountains and is a low, broad, round-topped bush 
with dark green shining leaves and short, erect clusters 
of flowers which are fully grown in the autumn and the 
flower buds are white and conspicuous through the 
winter. Its Japanese relative (P. Japonica) grows 
taller and has larger flowers but, unfortunately, is 
much less hardy. 

For planting in the shade of trees and more es- 
pecially by the s de of woodland streams Leucothoe 
Catesbaei, with yard-long, arching stems, glossy 
green, broad, pointed leaves, and axillary racemes of 
small, pure white flowers, is a charming plant. It is 
native of the mountains of Virginia and Georgia, 
but is very hardy. By the side of a babbling brook 
in the Hemlock grove of the Arnold Arboretum it is 
perfectly happy and a joy to behold at all seasons of 
the year. 

The American Holly {Ilex opaca), with its dull 
green leaves, is much inferior to the English Holly 
(/. Aquifolium) , which has lustrous foliage, but it 
has the merit of being fairly hardy in northern 
Massachusetts, whereas its European relative is not. 
The American Holly is a large bush or small tree and 
has red fruit. It delights in a cool soil and a position 



144 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

sheltered from cutting winds and the morning sun in 
winter. 

A broad-leaved Evergreen which should be planted 
in every garden is the Inkberry {Ilex glabra), 
one of the most attractive of native shrubs. It is 
densely branched and compact in habit and grows 
from five to eight feet high and as much in diameter, 
and has dark, glossy green, smooth, rounded leaves 
and black fruit on inch-long stalks. It forms a neat 
and shapely specimen in the open, is excellent for 
massing, and is a good hedge plant. The leaves do 
not burn and the plant grows well in ordinary garden 
soil and is beautiful at all seasons, be it midwinter or 
midsummer. One would reasonably suppose that 
so useful a shrub would be grown in quantity by the 
nurserymen of eastern North America, but, alas! 
this class from earliest generations has derived its 
inspiration entirely from Europe and apparently de- 
spises American plants as too common for attention. 

The Japanese Ilex crenata is another valuable 
evergreen Holly and being an exotic is fairly easy to 
obtain from nurserymen. It makes a stiff bush with 
its short, dense branches and is handsome as a speci- 
men and is well adapted for making hedges. The 
leaves are small, blackish green and the fruit is black 
and is freely produced. There are two or three 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 145 

forms of this Holly and if plants are raised from seed 
much variation in size of leaf is shown. Those with 
the smallest leaves are hardiest and seldom burn in 
winter, whereas the form known as major has not 
proved hardy in the Arnold Arboretum. This shrub, 
or small tree, is widely spread in Japan and is also 
much grown in Japanese gardens where it is usually 
clipped and trained into the grotesque. 

The Common Box of Europe {Buxus sempervirens) 
is scarcely hardy in New England and as a rule 
browns badly in March and looks unsightly in the 
spring. There are many forms of this Box, and the 
hardiest is myrtifolia, with dull green leaves which 
are longer than they are broad. As a low edging 
around formal beds the Common Box winters fairly 
well when the snowfall is normal or in excess of nor- 
mal, but if exposed to full sun in March the leaves 
scald. A much superior plant for northern gardens 
is the Japanese Box (B. micro phylla) and its taller 
growing variety japonica, both being perfectly hardy 
in the Arnold Arboretum. The type is dwarf in habit 
and has narrow, wedge-shaped leaves and is very 
useful for edging purposes and for rockeries. The 
variety has rounded leaves, yellowish green in color 
and makes a compact bush in size comparable with 
its European relative. Both flower in early spring 



146 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and are freely visited by bees. The Japanese Box, 
which is distinguished from the Common Box by the 
relatively long stalk to the rudimentary ovary of the 
male flowers, is far from being well known. It is 
rare in nurseries where forms of the less hardy B. 
sempervirens erroneously and unintentionally pass 
muster for it. 

The lovely Oregon Grape {Mahonia Aquifolium)^ 
with its lustrous, metallic green leaves which in late 
fall assume rich shades of bronzy green and blackish 
crimson is, unfortunately, not properly hardy here. 
In winters, when the snowfall is heavy and lies on 
the ground until spring, this shrub winters fairly 
well; but usually the leaves burn badly and though 
the stems are not often killed the plants are very un- 
sightly until new leaves develop. Much hardier 
and entirely satisfactory is its relative M. repens, 
with similar terminal clusters of yellow flowers and 
bloomy black fruits but gray-green leaves. This 
species grows about a foot high and has a creeping 
rootstock from which shoots arise and form a broad, 
low thicket. Very beautiful and quite hardy is the 
new Chinese Berberis verruculosa, with prostrate 
and arching stems, small, prickly Holly-like leaves, 
dark shining green above and white below. It 
grows from one to two feet high, is very densely 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 147 

branched and has yellow flowers in the axils of the 
leaves and these are followed by bloomy black fruit. 

Very handsome in flower and striking at all sea- 
sons are the Yuccas with their spear-like evergreen 
leaves. Three species (Y. flaccida, Y. filameniosa 
and y. glauca) are hardy in the neighborhood of 
Boston, Mass., and thrive in ordinary garden soil. 
Their pure white, nodding, top-shaped flowers are 
borne in profusion on erect, branching stems from 
four to six feet tall. 

The Garland Flower (Daphne Cneorum) is a well- 
known evergreen with gray-green and terminal heads 
of fragrant pink blossoms. Many find it difficult 
to establish for it resents transplanting and for this 
reason pot-grown plants should be obtained in prefer- 
ence to those grown in open ground. For planting 
beneath trees there is nothing better than Pachysan- 
dra terminalis, a native of Japan and China. It grows 
about ten inches high and, spreading from a creeping 
rootstock, forms a dense ground cover in situations 
where but few plants will grow. The leaves are light 
green, and the inconspicuous flowers are followed by 
whitish fruits. 

Another favorite broad-leaved Evergreen is the 
Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor), native of Europe 
and western Asia. This plant trails over the ground 



148 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and forms a broad mass of glossy dark green. It 
thrives equally well in the open and in partial shade. 
There are forms with white and purple flowers but 
none is better than the type with its clear blue 
flowers. 

A very pleasing little evergreen is Pachystima 
Canbyi, native of the mountains of North Carolina 
and Virginia, which forms neat little clumps six 
inches or more high. The fohage is dense, small, and 
rather shining pale green. The western P. Myrsinites 
is a taller plant with much larger leaves but the habit 
is less good and it often suffers in winter. These 
plants have inconspicuous flowers and are related to 
the Spindle-trees (Evonymus). 

The Cowberry {Vaccinium Vitis-idaea) is a north- 
ern, circumpolar plant which grows a few inches high 
and forms dense, broad mats. The leaves are shining 
green, the flowers white or pinkish and the fruit dark 
red. At any season of the year this little plant is 
pleasing. A closely related evergreen is the Box 
Huckleberry {Gaylussacia brachycera), one of the 
rarest of American plants. It is a spreading plant 
growing from six to ten inches high and has shining 
green Box-like leaves. 

The Mayflower or Trailing Arbutus {Epigaea 
repens) common on the borders of rocky woods and 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 149 

hillsides of New England and southward, is a lovely 
plant but alas! not very amenable under cultivation. 
Its sweet-scented white to delicate pink flowers open 
beside the remnants of snowdrifts in early spring. It 
is regrettable that this plant, a favorite with every- 
body, is so coy and hard to please in gardens. An 
allied plant, the Wintergreen or Checkerberry {Gaul- 
theria procumbens), however, grows readily in any 
garden soil. This common shrub, so abundant in 
woodlands and wild places generally from Maine 
southward and west to Michigan, grows from three to 
six inches high and has lustrous dark green ovate 
leaves clustered on the top of a ruddy stem and tiny 
urn-shaped white flowers which are followed by pure 
red, hanging, aromatic fruits. 

The Crowberry {Empeirum nigrum), abundant in 
cold, temperate, and sub-arctic regions throughout the 
Northern Hemisphere, has insignificant leaves, yet it 
forms neat mats of dark green in the vicinity of 
eternal ice and snow. Its relative, Corema Conradii, 
is a more conspicuous plant with broader leaves and 
forms compact clusters about six inches high. 

As a ground cover in the open there is nothing bet- 
ter than the Bearberry {Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), with 
its long trailing shoots and gray-green leaves forming 
a dense carpet. The flowers are white or pinkish, 



150 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

urn-shaped, and borne several together at the end 
of the lateral shoots; the fruit is globose and wine- 
red. Like many other members of the Heath family, 
the Bearberry is not only native of this country, 
but is spread over the colder regions of the North- 
em Hemisphere. This prostrate evergreen can be 
used to good effect in many ways, but I never saw 
it more appropriately employed than in a private 
cemetery on Long Island, N. Y., where, in an open- 
ing in a thin wood, it carpets a basin or bowl round 
which nestle flat graves in clearings of the native 
vegetation. 

The Creeping Snowberry (Chiogenes serpyllifolia), 
with thread-like stems and white fruits, is pretty on 
rocks and tree stumps in shady places. So, too, is the 
well-known Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), with a 
similar habit and scarlet fruits, though belonging to a 
widely different family. 

Twice previously in these pages reference has been 
made to the Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and certain 
Heaths {Erica spp.), but I may again emphasize the 
fact that these charming plants are perfectly hardy 
provided they be grown in the open where they may 
enjoy the full sun and wind. 

For climbing plants with evergreen foliage we are 
badly off. The Ivy {Hedera Helix), so celebrated in 



BROAD-LEAVED EVERGREENS 151 

poetry and folklore, is not hardy, although here and 
there rambling over an old tomb in a shady part of 
some cemetery, a plant may be found more or less in- 
different to the winter's severity. No other plant can 
exactly take the place of the Ivy, but we are really 
fortunate in having so good a substitute as the 
Japanese Evonymus radicans and its variety vegetus. 
These are invaluable plants with good foliage, are 
quite hardy, and admirably adapted for covering walls 
and the north and west sides of buildings. On 
boulders or even in the open border they form a fine 
tangled mass of green. They are root climbers and 
have small white flowers in clusters and attractive 
white fruits which open and display the seeds with 
their orange-scarlet covering. The juvenile stage of 
the variety vegetus is sold under the name of Evonymus 
radicans, var. minimus and also as Evonymus kewensis. 
It has prostrate stems and prettily marbled rounded 
foliage and is a charming cover and rock plant. In 
China grows £. radicans, var. acutus and the baby stage 
of this plant has ovate, marbled leaves and from the 
manner of its growth in the Arnold Arboretum prom- 
ises to be a very useful addition to the best of ever- 
green climbers. 

The only hardy and really evergreen twining vine 
we have is Lonicera Henryi, a recent addition from 



152 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

China. Over walls and rocks this plant makes a de- 
lightful tangle and, whilst the flowers are not showy 
and the fruit is dull black, the leaves are of good size 
and dark green throughout the winter. 

There are a few other broad-leaved Evergreens 
whose hardiness in New England is not yet fully 
established and a number of the low-growing plants 
mentioned here are better suited for the rockery than 
for the open border. 




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CHAPTER IX 

NEW CHINESE TREES AND SHRUBS FOR 
THE PACIFIC SLOPE AND OTHER FAVORED 

REGIONS 

SOME SPLENDID EXAMPLES AMONG THE GREAT WEALTH 
OF MATERIAL THAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN BROUGHT TO 

NOTICE 

THE region of the Pacific Slope with its mild and 
genial yet diversified climate offers enormous 
horticultural possibilities, and in the state of 
California alone it is possible to cultivate out of doors 
a greater variety of plants than in any other state of 
the Union. In the North the climate is similar to that 
of the west coast of Scotland; in the South it is like 
that of Palestine; from San Francisco to Santa Bar- 
bara it resembles that of the Riveira and Algiers. 

Among the great attractions at the Panama-Pacific 
International Exposition in San Francisco and the 
Panama-CaUfornia Exposition in San Diego were the 
remarkable floral displays Visitors from the East 
and Middle West fully conversant with the horticul- 
tural material grown in their own sections were 
amazed and bewildered at the variety and the totally 

163 



154 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

different classes of plants which flourish in the open in 
California. Plants which in the East and Middle 
West are grown under glass in pots for table and hall 
decoration, in California grow out of doors into large 
bushes and stately trees; and the same is of course also 
true to a certain degree of the region abutting on the 
Gulf of Mexico. 

In New England only plants from the cold temper- 
ate regions of the Northern Hemisphere flourish in the 
open ground but on the Pacific Slope and in the real 
South the plants of the cool and warm temperate 
regions of both Hemispheres thrive out of doors and 
garden lovers there may enjoy the beauties of a host 
of plants eastern gardens know not of. 

There are drawbacks of course and gardeners in these 
warmer climes have difTiculties peculiarly their own. 
In parts of the South and West there is a meagre water 
supply but this can be and is overcome by irrigation. 
In many places the soil is more or less alkaline and such 
a soil most plants abominate. When only slightly or 
moderately alkaline the soil may be neutralized by 
growing on it crops of beets or even by washing. In 
only slightly alkaline soils most trees and shrubs will 
grow if vigorous specimens a yard or more tall be 
planted and given careful attention for a few months. 
With young seedlings and small plants raised from 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 155 

cuttings it is otherwise and until these become of fair 
size and full of vigor it is necessary that they be grown 
in a neutral soil. 

Except in extreme cases the difTiculties are not in- 
superable, and over the greater portion of the Pacific 
Slope there is little to hinder successful gardening. 
Parts of California have become one of the flower-seed 
producing areas of the world and it is highly probable 
that others will become famous for bulbs of the sorts 
now obtained in such quantities annually from Hol- 
land. The Roses of Oregon are renowned and the 
highly colored apples from the northern areas of the 
Pacific Slope are famed the world over. 

Many new plants have been raised on the Pacific 
Slope by various people, including a new race of Roses 
by crossing the Chinese Rosa odorata, var. gigantea and 
the Himalayan R. Brunonii. Mr. John McLaren, the 
Nestor of Calif ornian gardening, has shown what an 
infinite variety of beautiful plants can be successfully 
grown in the open ground in and around San Fran- 
cisco, and the wonderful collection in the Golden Gate 
Park is a monument to the skill, foresight, and perse- 
verance of this remarkable man. 

Now, recent exploration work in central and west- 
ern China has added some hundreds of new plants to 
western gardens and of these rather less than one half 



156 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

have proved hardy in the states of Massachusetts and 
New York. In Great Britain virtually all have be- 
come acclimatized and there is good reason for be- 
lieving that a majority will flourish on the Pacific 
Slope and on the Gulf. Some have already proved 
their adaptability, as, for example Coioneaster pannosa 
and Jasminum primulinum. 

I do not propose to mention here the new intro- 
ductions from China which thrive in the Arnold 
Arboretum, Boston, Mass. These are dealt with else- 
where in this work. My object is to tell of certain 
trees and shrubs of an ornamental character suitable 
for the more favored climate but which cannot with- 
stand the rigors of New England winters. Many of 
these are evergreen in character and all are of proven 
value in parts of Great Britain and France. I will 
commence with the Rose so universal a favorite and 
one in which we are so deeply indebted to China which 
gave us the parents of our Tea, China, and Rambler 
Roses. 

Three species of Musk Rose (Rosa Rubus, R. Gen- 
tilianay and R. Helenae) are abundant in the temper- 
ate parts of eastern and central China and two others 
{R. filipes and R. longicuspis) are common in the 
western part of that land. The first four are quite 
new and the fifth though long ago recorded from 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 157 

India has remained an obscure plant down to the 
present time. All are strong-growing species making 
tangled bushes fifteen feet tall and twenty feet and 
more through and all have fragrant musk-scented 
flowers. In R. filipes the inflorescence is pyramidal 
and the flowers are rather small with slender stalks 
and are borne a hundred or more together in one 
truss. The other species have larger flowers pro- 
duced in broad, flattened, or rounded masses. In 
R. Rubus the leaves are five-fol:olate and hairy on the 
underside; in R. Gentiliana they are five-foliolate and 
glaucous below; in R. Helenae seven- to nine-foliolate 
and slightly hairy on the underside; in R. longicuspis 
they are seven- to nine-foliolate, intense green and 
quite smooth. There are of course other technical 
and obvious differences which need not be related 
here, but all are extremely floriferous, last in bloom 
for more than a month, and retain their foliage very 
late in the season. No species of Rose is more beau- 
tiful in flower and foliage than these and one and all 
with their cascades of pure white fragrant flowers 
are delightful garden shrubs. Further, they offer 
possibilities in the development of new races of 
Roses which the hybridist can best appreciate. 
With rose-pink flowers there is the pretty R. Will- 
moltiae which is an erect-growing shrub with arching 



158 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

branches, small gray-green leaves and flowers in 
pairs or singly, and the allied R. multibradeata with 
larger and greener leaves and clusters of numerous 
rose-colored flowers. There are other species, too, 
but this half dozen must suffice. 

A genus of ornamental shrubs which recent work 
in China has vastly augmented is Gotoneaster. Two 
dozen of these new species have deciduous leaves 
and thrive amazingly in the Arnold Arboretum, but 
about half a dozen have evergreen leaves, and are not 
hardy there. One of these, C. pannosa, flourishes in 
and around San Francisco and Mr. McLaren told 
me that he considered it one of the most valuable 
plants of recent introduction. Closely related to 
that species is C. Harroviana which is a superior 
plant with rather larger and thicker shining green 
leaves, broader masses of flowers and wide-spreading 
branches with red-purple stems. The Willow-leaved 
Cotoneaster (C. salicifolia) is an erect shrub growing 
ten to twelve feet tall with arching branches, pendent 
whip-like branchlets, narrow shin'ng green leaves 
clothed with a felt of white hairs on the underside 
and flat corymbs of flowers. Its variety rugosa 
has rather shorter and broader leaves which are 
undulate on the upper surface; the variety yZoccosa has 
more narrow leaves and brighter red fruits than the 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 159 

type and the habit is more spreading. The aUied 
C. Henryana is a strong-growing shrub, ten to fifteen 
feet tall with spreading slender branches pendent 
at the tips and relatively large leaves, rather thin 
in texture, bright green above and slightly downy, and 
broad masses of white flowers which are followed by 
small fruits. The above all have showy flowers, 
brilliant red fruits, and good foliage. In C. Franchetii 
and C. amoena the flowers are insignificant but the 
scarlet fruits are large and conspicuous and produced 
in great abundance. These are much-branched shrubs 
growing from six to twelve feet high with twiggy 
slender, gracefully arching and spreading branches, 
and small leaves, dark green above and gray below. 
Though normally deciduous the leaves persist and 
retain their freshness through the winter in mild 
climates. 

As a ground cover either on the flat or for steep 
slopes C. Dammeri (better known as C. humifusa) is 
a most valuable acquisition. It is perfectly pros- 
trate and roots are freely emitted from the branches; 
the evergreen leaves are rounded and small and in- 
tense shining green, and the flowers, which are rela- 
tively large and pure white, are produced singly or 
severally together and are followed by bright scarlet 
fruits. 



160 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

The Japanese Photinia glabra and the Chinese 
P. serrulata are much-esteemed evergreen shrubs 
in CaUfornia and the former is a valuable hedge 
plant. The new P. Davidsoniae is superior to either. 
This is a shapely evergreen tree growing from forty to 
fifty feet tall with dark glossy green leaves which are 
reddish when young, and white flowers borne in broad 
flattened heads and followed by masses of scarlet 
fruits. It is a great favorite among the Chinese 
and in central China is commonly planted round 
shrines and tombs. 

Closely allied to Cotoneaster is Pyracantha of 
which the European P. coccinea and its var. Lalandii 
are well-known and much-appreciated shrubs on the 
Pacific Slope. The Chinese P. crenulata and P. 
angustifolia are magnificent when in fruit. The first- 
named resembles the European species in habit but 
has differently shaped leaves and the fruits vary in 
color from red to orange-scarlet. The other is 
upright in habit with rigid, horizontally disposed 
branches, and narrow, oblong, dark green leaves. 
The fruit is scarlet but in habit and general appear- 
ance this new plant is very distinct. 

Not far removed in relationship from the above 
is Stranvaesia with green persistent leaves, which 
in winter become beautifully tinted, and broad flat 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 161 

heads of pure white Hawthorn-like flowers followed 
by masses of scarlet to orange-scarlet fruits. There 
are two kinds : S. Davidiana with rather large oblong 
leaves and its variety undulata with much smaller 
and narrower leaves. Both are much-branched shrubs 
growing from five to fifteen feet tall and as much in 
diameter. Another pleasing shrub and one capable 
of withstanding much drought is Osteomeles Schwer- 
inae which has very small, pinnately divided, dark 
green persistent leaves, showy white flowers, and black 
fruits. 

Among the new Viburnums from China are a 
number of very distinct and ornamental evergreen 
species. One of the best is V. Henryi which is a large 
much-branched shrub from ten to fifteen feet high 
with ascending and spreading branches, thick, glossy 
green oblong leaves, erect pyramidate masses of pure 
white flowers and beautiful fruits which as they ripen 
change to coral-red, scarlet, and finally to jet black. 
This new-comer is one of the most strikingly hand- 
some members of a distinguished group . Very distinct 
too is V. Davidii which has dark green, leathery leaves 
with prominent veins. This is a low-growing, branch- 
ing shrub seldom exceeding two feet in height with 
broad flat heads of pure white flowers which are suc- 
ceeded by indigo-blue fruits. It is very suitable for 



162 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

rockeries and makes a good ground cover. Other 
species with blue fruits are V. propinquum and V. 
Harryanum. The former is a loosely branched shrub 
growing from five to ten feet high and has shining 
green lance-shaped leaves two to four inches long; the 
other is very compact in habit with twiggy shoots and 
small deep green rounded leaves and is totally unlike 
any other Viburnum and closely resembles Box 
(Buxus) in general appearance. Both have inconspic- 
uous greenish white flowers. Another fine Evergreen 
is V. coriaceum which is a large tree-like bush growing 
from fifteen to twenty-five feet tall with ascending 
and spreading branches clothed with large dull green 
leaves and bearing in season trusses of creamy-white 
flowers with conspicuous blue stamens and bloomy 
black fruits. Very different is V. utile with flattened 
round heads of fragrant flowers, pink in the bud and pure 
white when fully expanded, and jet black fruits. This 
is a much-branched shrub growing from six to twelve 
feet tall, with twiggy branches, small, thick leaves, 
lustrous dark green above and gray on the underside. 
This species grows naturally in rocky places and with- 
stands drought exceedingly well. A remarkable 
Viburnum and totally unlike any other is V. rhytido- 
phyllum with long deep green, lance-shaped, strongly 
wrinkled leaves which on the underside are covered w'th 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 163 

a dense white felt. It is a shrub from five to ten feet 
tall, compact in habit and has broad flat heads of dirty 
white rather foetid flowers succeeded by handsome 
fruits which as they ripen change to pink and crimson 
and are finally jet black. Somewhat similar in aspect 
to the preceding is V. buddleifolium but its leaves are 
smaller and thinner and are scarcely wrinkled and its 
flowers more showy. 

One of the most charming of recently introduced 
evergreen shrubs is Lonicera nitida which is lovely as a 
lawn shrub, of unique value for making low hedges, 
and may be trimmed and used in the manner of Box for 
edging garden paths and flower beds. It grows from 
three to six feet tall and has innumerable rigid, twiggy, 
ascending and spreading branches densely furnished 
with small glossy green leaves; the flowers are yellow- 
ish-white, small but very fragrant, and the fruits are 
bluish purple. This shrub roots readily from cuttings 
and grows freely and rapidly in any ordinary garden 
soil. Akin to the preceding is L. pileata which has 
similar flowers and fruits but larger leaves, not shin- 
ing, and low-spreading and prostrate in habit. 

Of evergreen Privets two new-comers {Ligustrum 
Henry i andL. Delavayanum (better known as L. Prattii) 
are worthy of recognition. The former has rather 
short and broad shining green leaves and the other 



164 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

more narrow and oblong leaves which are also lustrous. 
Both are branching shrubs growing from five to eight 
feet high and make fme specimens, SindL.Delavayanum, 
on account of its free habit, neat growth and dense 
foliation, is a most valuable hedge plant. 

Camellias in variety with their shining evergreen 
leaves and handsome flowers are general favorites and 
in the new C cuspidal a (correctly, Thea cuspidata), 
we have the hardiest species of the genus. It is a 
shrub from four to eight feet tall, with small leaves, 
single white flowers of medium size and it flowers very 
freely when the plants are quite small. 

China is very rich in species of Holly and a number 
of valuable and distinct kinds have been added to our 
gardens. The best of its class is Ilex Pernyi which is a 
shrub, from six to eighteen feet tall, narrowly pyramidal 
in outline with rigid branches and small, very spinous 
dark green leaves and red fruits. Either for speci- 
mens or for hedges this Holly is invaluable. Closely 
allied to the above is /. Veilchii which is similar in 
habit but has very much larger leaves. Quite unlike 
one's conception of a Holly are /. Fargesii and /. 
Francheliana with their long, narrow. Willow-like 
entire or slightly toothed leaves. Both are large- 
growing, sparsely branched shrubs with white frag- 
rant flowers and relatively large scarlet fruits. Very 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 165 

distinct too is /. yunnanensis with its compact col- 
umnar habit, small rounded spineless leaves and pink 
fragrant flowers which are followed by small red 
fruits. Another good Holly is /. corallina with ob- 
long, lance-shaped leaves from two to three inches long, 
undulate along the margins and sessile clusters of small 
vivid scarlet fruits. This is a shrub growing from six 
to twelve feet high with slender spreading and more or 
less pendent branches. 

Very like the common European Holly {Ilex 
Aquifolium) in foliage is Ilea ilicifolia which belongs 
to a totally different family. This is a sun-loving, 
drought-resisting, much-branched shrub growing from 
six to twelve feet tall with small white flowers borne in 
slender cylindrical pendent tails each from twelve to 
eighteen inches long. Both in flower and foliage this 
evergreen shrub is singularly attractive. 

One of the most valuable garden shrubs cultivated 
on the Pacific Slope is Berberis Darwinii, native of 
Chile, South America. From China, which is the 
headquarters of the Berberis family, there has been 
recently introduced a large number of new species and 
among them several of quite exceptional merit. In 
the front rank of these is B. Gagnepainii with masses 
of clear yellow flowers followed by bloomy black fruits. 
This is a compact shrub from five to eight feet tall, 



166 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

columnar in outline with narrow-pointed dull green 
persistent leaves. Other valuable species are B. 
atrocarpa, B. Julianae and B. Sargentianay which 
differ one from another in size and shape of leaves and 
fruits but agree in being much-branched upright grow- 
ing shrubs, from five to eight feet tall, with thick dark 
evergreen leaves, yellow flowers and black fruits. 
The sparingly branched B. Veitchii (known in gardens 
as B. acuminata) is very distinct and so is B. triacan- 
thophora which is a twiggy shrub, from three to five feet 
tall and as much broad, with yellow flowers stained 
with red, and black fruits. For rockeries and rocky 
places the semiprostrate B. candidula and B. verruca- 
losa with small evergreen Holly-like leaves, lustrous 
above and white beneath, are most delightful plants. 
Another low-growing species is B. Wilsonae with 
dense twiggy branches, gray-green semipersistent 
leaves which become beautifully tinted in the late fall, 
and masses of yellow flowers succeeded by brilliant 
salmon-red globose berries. 

As low-growing evergreen shrubs suitable for dry 
soils and for planting under trees, Sarcococca humile 
and S. ruscifolia may be confidently recommended 
as useful additions to the limited number of plants 
that will thrive under such conditions. 

A strikingly handsome evergreen shrub of medium 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 167 

height is Osmanthus armatus with thick Holly-Uke 
leaves from four to six inches long and from one to one 
and a half inches broad and coarsely toothed. The 
flowers are creamy-white and very fragrant and are 
produced in the autumn. The spring-blooming 0. 
Delavayiy with small leaves and pure white fragrant 
flowers, is also worthy of the widest recognition. 
Another useful evergreen shrub or small tree is 
Sycopsis sinensisy a relative of the American Witch 
Hazel, with inconspicuous flowers, twiggy branches, 
and neat foliage. 

My Jasminum primulinum with its arching shoots, 
dark green leaves, and large, clear yellow flowers 
produced from the leaf-axils, needs no introduction 
to the Pacific Slope, but the red-flowered J. Beesianum 
deserves to be better known. This is a low-spreading 
and even prostrate shrub with simple dull green 
leaves, and is very suitable for planting on banks. 
It is fond of sun, can withstand drought, and the 
flowers though described as red vary to pink and even 
to nearly white. 

Popularly known as Summer Lilac Buddleia Da- 
vidii and its varieties have won widespread recog- 
nition since I introduced them some fifteen years 
ago and they have been frequently mentioned in 
the Garden Magazine, For the Pacific Slope two 



168 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

other species which produce their flowers in January 
and February are strongly recommended. One of 
these {B. asiatica) has pure white, deUciously scented 
flowers arranged on long, slender cylindrical tails, 
gray Willow-like leaves, and slender arching and 
spreading branches. The other {B. officinalis) is a 
more sturdy shrub with broader leaves, stouter 
branches, and broader branching heads of rose-pink 
flowers each with an orange eye. A hybrid between 
these two species has been raised and named B. 
Farquharii. This plant has pale pink flowers and 
is perfectly intermediate between the parents and 
combines the good qualities of both. These "Winter 
Lilacs," as they may be termed, are very free grow- 
ing and free flowering shrubs and to obtain the best 
results they should be severely pruned each year 
after flowering. 

The Brambles (Rubus) are not usually regarded 
as ornamental garden plants but many of the Chinese 
species have strong claims to be so considered. 
Among semi-evergreen species with attractive foliage 
and pleasing habit I may mention Rubus chroosepalus 
with leaves like those of Tilia petiolaris; R. bamhu- 
sarum with three-partite leaves, dark green above 
and dun-colored below; the closely aUied R. Henry i 
with lobed leaves; R. flagelliflorus with entire leaves 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 169 

marbled with metallic green and brownish-purple 
above; R. Swinhoei with narrow oblong pointed 
leaves, gray on the underside; and R. ichangensis 
with vivid green nearly heart-shaped, pointed leaves 
and large elongated clusters of bright red fruits. All 
these Brambles have slender whip-like shoots and 
when trained to poles or to a pergola are very attrac- 
tive. 

New deciduous-leaved flowering shrubs are so 
very numerous that I hesitate to embark on the 
subject and I shall content myself with the mention 
of three groups. The Deutzias are much appreciated 
spring-flowering shrubs and in our gardens we enjoy 
several old species and the wonderful race of beauti- 
ful hybrids evolved by the late Monsieur Victor 
Lemoine of glorious memory. In addition to these 
China has given us quite recently a number of very 
distinct and lovely species such as the rosy-lilac 
flowered D. longifolia and its more deeply colored 
variety Veitchii; D, Wilsonii with glistening white 
flowers larger than those of any of its allies; D. dis- 
color with large masses of white flowers; D. Schnei- 
deriana and its variety laxijlora with pyramidate 
trusses of white flowers, and the curious D. mollis 
with soft hairy leaves and flattened heads of small 
white flowers. These species are valuable for em- 



170 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

bellishing outdoor gardens as specimens or for forc- 
ing purposes for Christmas and Easter. 

Closely allied to the Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) is 
Corylopsis, of which the Japanese C. spicata and C. 
pauciflora are well known. From China the genus 
has recently been considerably augmented and such 
species as C. sinensis, C. Yeitchiana, C. Willmottiana, 
and C. platypetala are decided acquisitions. Like 
the Japanese species they are spring-flowering shrubs 
and have pendent short racemes of yellow fragrant 
flowers which are produced in great profusion before 
the leaves unfold. The leaves are gray-green, and 
either in flower or foliage these shrubs are of pleasing 
appearance. Another new spring-flowering shrub is 
Stachyurus chinensis with pendulous racemes of 
yellow, scented flowers. This forms a bush from five to 
eight feet tall and has spreading branches, deep green 
leaves, and purplish brown shoots. 

Lastly I may mention Salix Bockii and S. magnifica, 
two most extraordinary Willows. The former is 
an upright-growing, much-branched twiggy shrub 
with small gray-green leaves and is worth growing 
as an autumn flowering plant. The catkins are white 
and are borne in great profusion on the current sea- 
son's shoots in the late summer and autumn — a char- 
acter almost unique in Willows. The other is a 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 171 

magnificent foliage plant. It is a large bush, from ten 
to twenty feet tall, with gray-green leaves on red 
stalks ajid I have measured the leaf -blade eight inches 
long and five and a quarter inches wide! The leaves 
rather suggest those of the Yulan {Magnolia denudata)^ 
so much so in fact that when I discovered the plant 
I momentarily took it for a species of Magnolia. 

Of new trees worthy of recommendation there are 
many, but I have space to mention only a dozen. 
The Bull Bay {Magnolia grandiflora) of the south- 
eastern states is rightly appreciated as one of the 
noblest and beautiful of all flowering evergreen trees. 
From China, gardens have received a closely allied 
species {M. Delavayi) which has larger and pointed 
leaves, dull green above and pale below and equally 
large, white cup-shaped flowers. These two Mag- 
nolias are of about equal hardiness and are most 
worthy companions. 

An ornamental flowering tree is Carrieria calycina 
with its bright green oblong leaves and pyramidate 
heads of ivory-white waxy flowers. It is a much- 
branched, flat-headed tree of medium height and the 
flowers are borne conspicuously at the ends of the 
shoots. 

One of the most beautiful of small trees is Sta- 
phylea holocarpa with large pendent clusters of pure 



172 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

white to pink flowers borne in profusion before the 
leaves unfold. The variety rosea has rose-colored 
flowers and the leaves are downy on the underside. 
Both form slender trees, from fifteen to thirty feet tall, 
with spreading branches, bright green leaves, and pale 
green twigs. The flowers are rich in honey and 
deliciously fragrant. 

The Tree of Heaven {Ailanthus glandulosa) is a 
very old inhabitant of gardens but the new A. Vil- 
moriniana, although much less hardy, is a more hand- 
some tree. When young the trunk and branches 
are thickly studded with short prickles. The leaves 
are more than a yard long and the rhachis is reddish 
in color and prickly, and no other tree of north tem- 
perate regions has so large leaves. It grows very 
rapidly and is native of the warm arid valleys of 
central and western China. 

A tree which thrives in dry regions is Pisiacia 
chinensis. This is one of the largest of Chinese 
trees and has a very thick trunk, massive, wide- 
spreading branches which form a flattened or rounded 
crown; the leaves are dark green pinnately divided 
and in the fall assume wondrous tints of orange and 
crimson. The flowers are inconspicuous but the 
bunches of small fruits, which are rich in oil, are 
showy and as they ripen change to scarlet and are 



NEW TREES AND SHRUBS 173 

finally blue. The wood is valuable and the young 
shoots with half-grown leaves are eaten as a vegetable 
by the Chinese after the manner of spinach. 

The Chinese Hogplum {Spondias axillaris) is an- 
other drought-resistant tree worthy of extended cul- 
tivation. It grows from forty-five to eighty feet tall 
and has thick branches forming an oval or flattened 
crown. The leaves are pinnately divided and the 
oval to ellipsoid yellow fruit is edible but lacks flavor. 

In eastern and central China the people consider 
Xylosma racemosum and its variety pubescens the 
most beautiful of all their evergreen trees and apply 
to it a name which signifies "Wintergreen." It is 
commonly planted over shrines and graves and in 
temple grounds, and has dark lustrous green leaves, 
inconspicuous flowers, and black pea-hke fruits. The 
branching is dense and the crown wide-spreading, 
oval, rounded, or flattened and the short inner 
branches are spiny. 

A Chinese Poplar {Populus lasiocarpa) has larger 
leaves than any other member of the genus. It is a 
moisture-loving tree, rather sparsely branched, and 
loosely pyramidal in outline and has bright green 
heart-shaped pointed leaves, from ten to twelve inches 
wide and more long, with the leafstalks, midrib, and 
principal veins of a rich red hue. In the mild parts 



174 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of the Pacific Slope which enjoy a moist cUmate this 
new Poplar should prove a great acquisition to the 
list of ornamental foliage trees. A handsome new 
Poplar is P. Wilsonii with its large, rounded, and 
slightly pointed leaves dark green above and pale on 
the underside. Other valuable Poplars suitable for 
the cooler parts of the Pacific Slope, but quite hardy 
in the coldest parts of this country, are P. suaveolens, 
P. szechuanica, and P. Simonii, both quick-growing 
trees useful for street or park planting. 

It would be a simple matter to increase this list 
fourfold and then not enumerate all the new Chinese 
plants worthy of recognition. But finality is not 
attempted. Garden lovers of the Pacific Slope who 
take up even half-a-dozen of the plants mentioned 
here and give them the same attention and treat- 
ment accorded to more familiar trees and shrubs will 
assuredly enjoy pleasurable satisfaction. 



CHAPTER X 

EARLY SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND 

SHRUBS 

ONE OF America's golden opportunities 

IF THERE be one season of the year wherein 
outdoor flowers are more keenly appreciated than 
another it is without doubt that of spring. All of 
us welcome the season when Nature puts on new ap- 
parel and appears in all the freshness of vigorous 
youth. And rightly so, for fallen indeed is the state of 
those in whom the joyousness of spring finds no an- 
swering echo. Garden lovers in particular greet the 
springtime with open hands and gladsome hearts, for 
then appear in beauteous blossom a hundred and one 
plant treasures Who among us does not welcome 
that sweetly pretty harbinger of spring the Winter 
Aconite {Eranthis hy emails) with its small, clear yellow 
flowers? And with what pleasant thrill we note the 
first expanding blossoms of the Snowdrop! Posses- 
sors of gardens differ widely in their tastes and affec- 
tions for different classes of plants but all agree in the 
desire for subjects which produce flowers early in the 

175 



176 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

spring. Of material both herbaceous and woody 
there is ample and in every garden there is room for 
improvement. The central truth which all should 
realize is that in gardens it is in variety not in uni- 
formity that beauty must be sought. 

In the woods and by the roadside and on the mar- 
gins of swamps a number of native woody plants put 
forth their blossoms very early in the spring and es- 
cape the notice of the multitude who pass them by. 
The Silver Maple {Acer saccharinum) in New England 
is the first of native trees to open its flowers, which are 
heavily clustered on the naked twigs but are less con- 
spicuous than those of the Red Maple {A. rubrum), 
which open soon afterward and are red or orange-red 
and sweetly fragrant. 

The American Elm ( Ulmus americana) is one of the 
most beautiful of all trees, with its massive trunk 
dividing a few feet from the ground into several or 
many stout ascending stems, which branch and form a 
rounded or flattened wide-spreading crown in which 
the lesser branches are more or less pendent. In this 
tree, too, the flowers are clustered on the naked twigs 
and consist of little more than pink anthers suspended 
on elongating thread-like filaments. In the Hazelnut 
(Corylus) and in the Alder (Alnus), the female flowers 
are insignificant but the male flowers are borne on 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 177 

long, cylindrical catkins which are clustered together 
near the ends of the twigs, and examination will show 
that the stamens are brightly colored. The Pussy 
Willows (Salix) are the most noticeable and most ap- 
preciated of plants which in early spring produce 
their flowers in catkins. The Poplars (Populus) also 
bear their blossoms in a manner similar to the Wil- 
lows and in certain species the stamens are hand- 
somely colored. 

But before the earliest Silver Maple or Pussy Wil- 
low shows any signs of welcoming spring by putting 
forth blossoms the Witch Hazels (Hamamelis) have 
expanded their flowers and most of the petals have 
fallen. This small group of shrubs deserves to be 
much more widely known, for it possesses attractions 
that are absolutely unique among hardy plants. 
The native H. virginiana, so common in woodland and 
copse, is the last of shrubs to blossom in the autumn, 
when its yellow star-shaped flowers are hidden midst 
a mass of yellow-tinted foliage. As the leaves fall the 
flowers are seen to better advantage, and individual 
bushes may be found in December with a few odd 
flowers bravely facing the flrst strong blasts of winter. 

The other three species open their flowers in Jan- 
uary and February, when the twigs are bare and when 
snow carpets the ground and all around is dreary and 



178 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

uninviting. The best known of these is the Japanese 
Witch Hazel {H. japonica), so abundant in the woods 
of the Nikko region of Japan and elsewhere in that 
land. It is a large bush from twelve to fifteen feet high, 
with many stiff, ascending-spreading branches and 
twiggy shoots and smooth leaves like those of the 
native H. virginiana. The star-shaped flowers, each 
with five long, strap-like, canary-yellow petals, sur- 
rounded by a calyx which is wine-colored on the in- 
side, are fragrant and thickly stud the shoots and 
branches. The variety arborea is distinguished by its 
more golden-yellow petals and more richly colored 
calyx and its flowers open a little in advance of those 
of the type. 

The finest of the genus is the Chinese H. mollis, 
which is similar in habit to the Japanese kind but has 
larger flowers which open earlier and larger leaves 
which are softly hairy on the underside. This shrub 
is native of the mountains of central China and, al- 
though it is now some thirty-six years since it was in- 
troduced to cultivation by the late Charles Maries, 
it is little known and far too rarely seen in gardens. 
A few years ago a Witch Hazel, which forms thickets 
in the gravelly beds and on the margins of streams in 
southern Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, was 
recognized as a new species and named H. vernalis. 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 179 

Some small plants were obtained and these opened 
their flowers for the first time under cultivation in the 
Arnold Arboretum on January 15, 1913, a little before 
those of its Asiatic relatives. The flowers are fra- 
grant and, though smaller, are more freely produced 
than in any other species. The inside of the calyx 
is wine-colored as in the Asiatic species; the narrow 
petals are erect-spreading, somewhat undulate with 
the apex inflexed, usually yellow, often golden, and in 
some flowers stained with wine color. The leaves re- 
semble those of the common American Witch Hazel 
but are more hairy and are often somewhat glauces- 
cent on the under surface. Its habit is stoloniferous 
(i. e., it suckers freely) and in this respect it difi'ers 
from all other species. The plants when they first 
flowered were not more than two and a half feet high; 
but they have grown much since, though they have 
not attained their maximum height, which is said to be 
six feet. 

These Witch Hazels are the first of all woody plants 
to blossom ; they are perfectly hardy, and every season, 
no matter how inclement the weather, put forth a 
wealth of flowers from the twenties of January to 
early March. Not on y are they excellent subjects 
for planting in parks and gardens generally, but they 
are particularly valuable for town gardens. City 



180 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

smoke does not affect them injuriously; they will with- 
stand considerable neglect and abuse and may be kept 
in bounds by pruning. It is passing strange that 
plants so useful and so very desirable for enlivening 
gardens with flowers during dull winter months 
should have received so scant recognition. 

The Spicebush {Benzoin aestivale) and Leatherwood 
(Dirca palustris), two common inhabitants of the 
thickets and swampy woods of New England and else- 
where on the Atlantic seaboard, are among the first of 
native shrubs to open blossoms. The Spicebush is a 
tall shrub with moderately stout stems and twiggy 
branches and bears innumerable clusters of small yel- 
low flowers. The Leatherwood is a compact bush from 
three to five feet high, and much more in diameter, and 
has pale yellow, bell-shaped flowers. 

A number of our earliest flowering shrubs hail from 
Europe and, with conspicuous flowers, the first to 
open are the Heath {Erica carnea) and the Mezereon 
{Daphne mezereum). The former opens its little pink 
urns in quantity even before all the snow has melted 
from around it. This and its white form {alba) are 
compact little plants from six inches to a foot tall and are 
absolutely hardy and easily grown, provided they be 
planted in positions fully exposed to the sun and air. 
The Mezereon is a woodland shrub but when once 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 181 

established thrives in the open border. It is a sturdy- 
bush seldom exceeding four feet in height with erect 
branches, and in early spring its twigs, throughout 
their entire length, are covered with rose-colored 
or in case of the variety alba with white, fragrant 
flowers. 

Very beautiful, too, is the Garland-flower (Daphne 
cneorum), a native of the Caucasus. This is a low- 
growing tufted plant not exceeding a foot in height, 
but densely branched and with gray-green leaves 
and terminal rounded clusters of rose-pink, deli- 
ciously scented flowers. The charming plant blos- 
soms most profusely in the early spring, and through 
the summer and autumn a few flowers continue to 
open. Both for the rockery and open border this is 
a delightful subject. 

For the most ornamental of early spring-flowering 
shrubs and trees, the gardens of eastern North Amer- 
ica depend, not upon native nor upon European 
plants, but upon those of China and Japan. These 
lands, too, have their catkin-bearing Willows, Poplars, 
Alders, and Hazelnuts; their Elms, Maples, and 
other plants with flowers clustered on naked twigs. 
They have, in addition, a variety of shrubs and trees 
which have large and brightly colored flowers that 
are conspicuous from afar, and it is these that are 



182 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

found most commonly in our gardens and that we all 
admire so much. 

Of all hardy trees Magnolias have the largest 
flowers, and no trees are more beautiful and few so 
amenable to cultivation. Now, Magnolias are con- 
fined to this country east of the Mississippi Valley, 
to eastern Asia and to the Himalayas. All the Amer- 
ican species produce their flowers at the same time 
as the leaves or after the latter are fully unfolded. 
A similar group grows in the forests of China and 
Japan; but, in addition, there are species native of 
those lands which bear flowers abundantly on the 
naked shoots. It is these that give such a gorgeous 
display of blossoms in early spring and are everywhere 
so highly esteemed in gardens and parks. Centuries 
before their introduction to western lands these 
plants were favorites in the gardens of China and 
Japan, where their flowers are regarded as a symbol 
of candor and beauty. 

The Yulan (commonly known as Magnolia con- 
spicua, but correctly as M. denudata) is authentically 
known to have been cultivated in China since about 
618 A. D. The white-flowered form of the Yulan 
was introduced to English gardens in 1779, and is 
now grown everywhere in the Occident. It grows 
wild in moist woods in the central parts of China, 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 183 

but this fact has only recently been made known. 
This form, however, is rare in a wild state and that 
most usually met has rosy or reddish-pink flowers. 
This variety has likewise been long cultivated in 
China and also in Japan, where it is known as Sarasa- 
renge and in Japanese nursery catalogues as M. 
obovata.YSiT. discolor; correctly, it should be M. denudata, 
var. purpurascens. In 1900, I introduced this va- 
riety by means of seeds collected from wild trees in 
central China, but as yet the plants have not borne 
flowers. However, I strongly suspect that it has 
been cultivated in western gardens for a much longer 
period, under some other name, and its identity 
obscured. 

Both the white and colored varieties of the Yulan 
are trees fifty feet tall, with a trunk eight feet in 
girth, and have ascending and spreading branches. 
Such trees I have seen in the forests of central China 
laden with thousands of flowers, and the spectacle 
they presented will never be forgotten. In western 
gardens examples of the white variety from twenty to 
twenty-five feet tall are known, and fine specimens 
are common in the gardens of eastern North America 
where the Yulan is a very popular tree. 

The second species to be introduced to our gardens 
was the Purple-flowered Magnolia (usually known as 



184 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

M. obovata, M. purpurea or M. discolor, but correctly 
as M. liliflora), which reached England in 1790. This, 
like the Yulan, has long been cultivated in China and 
Japan, but it has not yet been authoritatively re- 
ported in a wild state. It is a much less hardy plant 
than the Yulan and appears to be always a shrub. In 
this country it is well known and thrives in gardens 
south of Philadelphia. The flowers are dark wine-red 
and very handsome. Under cultivation in Europe 
several hybrids between M. denudata and M. liliflora 
have been raised. The oldest and best known of 
these hybrids is Soulangeana, with flowers suffused 
with rose. This is a hardy and vigorous-growing 
tree and some very fme examples are known in this 
country. Others of these hybrids are rustica rubra, 
with deep rose-colored flowers; and Lennei, which 
originated in Italy, has rich crimson-purple flowers, 
and blossoms late. Both are strong-growing, free- 
flowering plants. 

In 1862, Dr. George R. Hall, on his return from 
Japan, brought with him and handed over to Mr. S. 
B. Parsons, at Flushing, L. I., a collection of plants that 
have proved of immense value to gardens. Among 
the many good things was a Magnolia, which Parsons 
afterward distributed as M. Halleana to commemo- 
rate the name of its introducer. Unfortunately, how- 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 185 

ever, it had earlier received the name of stellattty and 
that had to take precedence. This M. stellata is the 
first of all Magnolias to open its blossoms and is al- 
ways a broad and shapely shrub growing eight to 
twelve or fifteen feet high and more in diameter; the 
star-shaped, snow-white flowers are smaller than 
those of other species but are borne in such profusion 
as to cover the bush with white. This is one of the 
most beautiful and most satisfactory of all spring- 
flowering shrubs and is extremely hardy. There is 
also a variety {rosea), with delicate pink flowers, 
which makes a lovely companion to the type. A 
fourth species (M. kobus) also hails from Japan, where 
it is common in the forests on the mountains through- 
out the greater part of that land. The southern and 
typical form is a large bush or low tree, but the north- 
ern form (var. borealis) is a shapely tree from sixty to 
seventy-five feet tall with a smooth trunk six feet in 
girth. This variety, borealis, was introduced in 1876, 
by Mr. W. S. Clark and trees raised from the original 
seeds are now thirty feet tall and have broad pyramid- 
ate crowns. It flowered for the first time in cultiva- 
tion in April, 1899, in the garden of Professor 
Sargent, Brookline, Mass., but the blossoms were 
sparse. In subsequent years it has flowered in many 
gardens and much more profusely, and it is the most 



186 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

free-growing of all members of its group. The pure 
white cup-shaped blooms are smaller than those of the 
Yulan. There are other species of Magnolia which 
flower on the naked twigs, but of these only two are in 
cultivation and only one, the Himalayan M. Camp- 
belliiy has blossomed. This has rose-colored flowers, 
and is one of the most gorgeous of all flowering trees 
but, unfortunately, it is less hardy than any other 
member of its group. 

Magnolias grow naturally in moist, rich woods 
and, although they will withstand considerable hard- 
ship and abuse, the best results are obtained when 
they are protected from strong winds and are planted 
in deep soil rich in humus. In northern gardens 
the best time to transplant Magnolias is late in the 
spring. They may also be moved successfully about 
the end of August or beginning of September, but 
at either season they must not be allowed to suffer 
from lack of water and it is advisable to mulch 
them with well-decayed manure. 

A favorite shrub in the gardens of China and 
Japan is the La-mei-hwa, widely known as Chim- 
onanthus fragrans but correctly as Meratia praecox. 
This plant has fragrant, pale yeflow, saucer-shaped 
flowers stained with wine color at the base, and these 
are freely borne on the naked shoots. It is not hardy 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 187 

in New England, but south of Washington, D. C, 
it thrives. Like many other plants cultivated in 
Chinese and Japanese gardens, this shrub is a native 
of central China where it grows naturally on cliffs and 
in rocky places. 

For gardens south of Philadelphia the rambling 
Jasminum nudiflorum^ with c ear yellow flowers 
on naked shoots, is a lovely old plant. It is a native 
of northern China where also it is frequently culti- 
vated, and is one of the plants we owe to the labors of 
Robert Fortune, who sent it to the Royal Horticul- 
tural Society in 1844. 

In China and Japan, except the colder parts, 
the first flowers to open on deciduous trees are 
those of the Ume (Prunus mume), generally known 
as the Japanese Apricot, and those famihar with the 
porcelains of the Far East will appreciate it as the 
Plum Blossom so often employed in design. This 
plant is wild in central and western China, but it 
has been cultivated in all but the colder parts of that 
land from time immemorial and was from China in- 
troduced to Japan by Buddhist priests more than one 
thousand years ago. 

In Tokyo and many other places in Japan there 
are famous "Plum Gardens" which are a source of 
great attraction when the trees are in blossom. 



188 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

At the village of Tsuki-gase, some twenty-five miles 
from the old eighth century capital of Nara, there is a 
line of Ume trees for upward of two miles alongside a 
small stream. The deUcately fragrant flowers are 
white, pink, and even deep rose, and are either single 
or double; the shoots are smooth and green and the 
leaves roundish and light green in color. Normally 
it is a low bushy tree some twelve to fifteen feet tall, 
with a thin trunk and spreading branches; but under 
cultivation, forms have originated in which the 
branches are pendent or quite erect (fastigiate). 

In both China and Japan it is much grown in 
pots as a dwarfed bush and in this condition flowers 
profusely. Cut branches with flowers are abund- 
antly used for house decoration — so much so, in fact, 
that it is safe to say that in season where it is grown in 
China and Japan no temple, shrine, or dweUing — be 
it castle, palace, or peasant's hut — is without its sprig 
of Ume. Unfortunately, this plant is not hardy in 
the colder parts of North America, but south of 
Philadelphia it is not uncommon in gardens. It 
deserves to be more widely known, and as a forcing 
shrub merits the attention of florists. 

The common Peach {Prunus Persica) is a native of 
central China and as bearing the finest of all the stone 
fruits needs no mention here. But cultivated in the 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 189 

gardens of China and Japan are a number of varieties 
with large and double flowers, in white, pink, rose- 
red, and bizarre and strikingly handsome. From 
time to time these have been introduced into our gar- 
dens, yet one rarely meets with them, beautiful 
though they are. The explanation is that, like the 
parent stock, they are short-lived trees; but they are 
readily renewed by budding or grafting and our nur- 
serymen ought to be able to keep our gardens supplied. 
In addition to the common Peach two other 
species grow wild in China. One of these (P. 
Davidiana) is confined to the northern parts of that 
country and in the Arnold Arboretum it is the first 
of its class to blossom. Often the flowers get dam- 
aged by frosts in the changeable climate of New Eng- 
land. The tree is of slender growth with thin as- 
cending-spreading branches, and there are two forms, 
one with white and another with pink blossoms. 
The other species (P. mira) is a new discovery which 
I made in 1910, on the Chino-Thibetan borderland. 
The flowers are unknown to me but probably re- 
semble those of the common Peach. This new species 
is remarkable in having a very small, flattened-oval 
and perfectly smooth stone; its value, if any, as a 
new fruit has yet to be made known, but for the 
hybridist it certainly has attractions. 



190 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

The common Apricot (Prunus Armeniaca), its 
specific name notwithstanding, is also native of north- 
ern China and, Uke its alUes, is not only a valuable 
fruit tree but is likewise a handsome and ornamental 
flowering plant. This, too, has been long cultivated 
in the Far East, and in Japan varieties differing in 
habit and color of flowers have originated. The type 
and its varieties are all very hardy and in New Eng- 
land gardens they are often cultivated under the 
erroneous name of P. mume. 

In Japan this Apricot is known as Ansu and the 
fruit is pickled and is served as an appetizer; but 
under the same name the Japanese cultivate another 
species (P. ansu), which is distinguished by the blade 
of the leaf tapering to a narrow wedge at the base. 
This species is native of Korea and has ascending- 
spreading branches and rigid shoots. In Japan 
forms with single and double white and pink flowers 
are grown. 

In Mandshuria a third species of Apricot (P. mand- 
schurica) grows wild. This tree is distinct, with its 
light gray rather scaly bark, wide-spreading crown, 
and spiny inner branches. The flowers are large, 
white or nearly so. 

Of Cherries proper the next chapter treats, but 
of several cognate plants it is convenient to speak 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 191 

here. All are twiggy bushes of rather low stature, 
are natives of China, and are among the earliest of 
all shrubs to blossom. Two of these {Prunus japon- 
ica and P. glandulosa) are very doubtfully distinct 
as species, but the leaves are much broader in P. 
japonica, and rounded and somewhat heart-shaped 
at the base, whereas in P. glandulosa they are nar- 
rowed at the base. Both are twiggy shrubs from three 
to five feet high, and there are forms with white, 
pink and single, or double flowers. They are old 
inhabitants of our gardens and have long been culti- 
vated in Japan but are not native of that country. 
In northern and central China they are common 
wild plants, and so, too, is P. tomentosa, also commonly 
cultivated in Japan but not indigenous there. This, 
likewise, is a fairly old denizen of western gardens. 
It is a spreading, extremely hardy shrub of moderate 
height and has red flower-stalks and calyx and pure 
white petals which are pink in bud. The short- 
stalked, Cherry-like fruit is scarlet, ripens in June, 
and is very palatable. 

The last of the Prunus I shall mention and the 
most beautiful of the four is P. triloba, also a native 
of northern China. The double form (plena) is 
commonly cultivated in Peking gardens and is a 
general favorite in western gardens to which it was 



192 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

introduced in 1857. The flowers of this form are 
large, pink, and very freely produced on the naked 
twigs. More beautiful, however, is the type with its 
wealth of purest pink, single flowers. This wild 
form was sent from Peking to the Arnold Arboretum 
by Dr. E. Bretschneider in 1882, but is much too 
rarely seen in gardens. 

Among spring-flowering shrubs yellow is a com- 
mon color but in none is it purer or more vivid than 
in the Chinese Forsythias or Golden Bells. These 
lovely shrubs are universal favorites in northern 
lands and well do they deserve the honor. Of the two 
species {Forsythia suspensa and F. viridissima), the older 
and better known in gardens is F. suspensa, with its 
abundant clear yellow bells ; but better than either is the 
hybrid between them (F. intermedia), which has larger 
and richer colored flowers. There are several other hy- 
brids and forms, all of them valuable garden plants, but 
the finest is the form spectabilis. These Forsythias are 
strong-growing shrubs, with arching pendent branches 
which overlap one another and form an impenetrable 
tangled mass. They are sun- and loam-loving plants 
and are seen to best advantage when planted where 
they have lots of room, and preferably on a slope, 
where they may develop unmolested. On such a 
slope in the Arnold Arboretum there is a tangle of 



SPRING-FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS 193 

Forsythias about seventy-five feet long and as much 
through and, as a feast of color and beauty in spring, 
is worth coming a long, long way to view. Any 
pruning considered necessary should be done imme- 
diately the flowers have fallen and, incidentally, this 
is true for all spring- and summer-flowering deciduous 
trees and shrubs. 

A few years ago, in 1897 to be exact, a third 
species of Forsythia was discovered in Albania and 
was named F. europaea. This plant was introduced 
into Kew Gardens in 1899, and bids fair to grow much 
taller than its Chinese relatives and their progeny. 
It is upright in habit and in consequence very dis- 
tinct in appearance. The flowers are pale canary 
yellow and the plant is a very hardy and interest- 
ing addition to the Hst of spring-flowering shrubs; 
but those who have only room in their gardens for 
one Forsythia and want the best available should 
plant the hybrid F. intermedia or its form spedabilis. 

Among the Bush Honeysuckles (Lonicera), whose 
all-round value for our gardens has been repeatedly 
emphasized in these pages, there are species such as 
L. fragrantissima and L. Standishii which open their 
blossoms at the first breath of spring. Both are 
compact shrubs growing from four to eight feet tall 
and more in diameter, and have pale yellowish-white 



194 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

sweetly fragrant flowers which are followed by scar- 
let fruits. 

Rhododendrons, including Azaleas, will be dealt 
with in a subsequent chapter but it is permissible 
to mention here Rhododendron mucronulatum and R. 
dahuricum. These are deciduous shrubs growing from 
four to eight feet high and are the earliest of their class to 
blossom. The flowers are pink or rose in the former, 
and rose-purple in R. dahuricum. They are natives of 
cold regions of Mandshuria and Korea, and in New 
England the flowers are often nipped by late frosts. 
Both are sparsely branching, and to obtain the best 
effects they should be massed together thickly in a 
situation exposed to the air but protected from cut- 
ting winds and the early morning sun. 



CHAPTER XI 

JAPANESE CHERRIES AND ASIATIC CRAB- 
APPLES 

MANY OF THESE ARE ALREADY WELL KNOWN AND YET 
RARELY PLANTED IN OUR GARDENS — ^THE NOMENCLA- 
TURE IS HERE SET RIGHT AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION 
IS MADE EASY 

THE group of plants now to be considered 
is not exceeded in beauty and hardi- 
ness by any other, and yet its members are 
comparatively rarely seen in American gardens. A 
few are fairly well known to older garden lovers and 
here and there in city parks, like those of Rochester, 
N. Y., several may be seen in all their beauty. But 
truly there should be no garden, even a suburban 
garden, without its Flowering Cherry and its Crab- 
apple tree. 

When I think of the popularity certain plants of 
much less lasting value have attained I cannot help 
thinking that it is want of knowledge and not want of 
appreciation that has kept in the background the 
extremely ornamental plants with which this chapter 
deals. If any reader will visit the Arnold Arboretum 

195 



196 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

in late April and May, and see the collection of these 
plants in blossom, he will depart hungry for them 
and will not rest content until one or more be growing 
in his own garden. 

In the cooler parts of the temperate regions of 
western lands there is no more beautiful sight than 
the Apple orchards in full blossom in the spring unless 
it be the same orchards in autumn laden with ruddy 
fruit. But the utilitarian is apt to stifle the aesthetic 
spirit in so far as this and other familiar sights are 
concerned. The common Plum and the common 
Cherry suffer in the same way, yet the winsome beauty 
of their flowers is undeniable. Again, an orchard of 
Peach trees in bloom is wondrously pretty though the 
trees have not the picturesque appearance of aged 
Apple trees. 

However, if familiarity has dulled spontaneous 
enthusiasm for the floral charms of these indispens- 
able fruit trees none, when taxed with the question, 
will attempt to deny their effective beauty. It is with 
the near relatives — the brothers, sisters, and first- 
cousins — of these familiar fruit trees that I am about to 
treat here, and since the fruits they produce have no 
comestible value we can drink in their charms un- 
influenced by the pernicious alloy of utflitarianism. 
But do not misunderstand me : I am not denying the 



CHERRIES AND CRAB APPLES 197 

I 

indispensable value of our fruit trees as such nor their 
extensive and extended culture. Quite the contrary. 
But the creed of the true horticulturist is founded on 
that old Biblical truism — "man cannot live by bread 
alone." 

Any attempt to portray in words that marvelous 
floral spectacle known in Japan as the Cherry Festival 
fails lamentably. It must be seen to be ap- 
preciated, but no language can exaggerate the beauty 
of the Japanese Cherries. Readers who have visited 
Japan and have basked in the loveliness of the Cherry 
blossoms must have yearned deeply to possess some 
of the trees. Such feeling is natural. We should 
have these Japanese Cherries in our gardens and there 
is no valid reason why here in eastern North America 
we should not have our own Cherry festival, for the 
trees are perfectly hardy and thrive here. In the 
Arnold Arboretum the few large examples we have pro- 
duce a wealth of flowers each and every season. 

THE CHERRIES 

Of flowering Cherries the Japanese recognize a 
hundred or more varieties with white, yellow, pure 
pink to rose-colored blossoms. Some are small shrubs, 
others large trees with wide-spreading crowns; 
some have pendent and others quite erect branches. 



198 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

All are entrancingly beautiful. Cherry trees grow 
wild in the woods and thickets throughout the length 
and breadth of Japan and they are everywhere 
planted in vast numbers — in temple and castle 
grounds, in park and garden, in the streets of the 
cities and alongside the highways, by pond and by 
river-side. At Koganei, a village some ten miles from 
Tokyo, there is a three-mile avenue of Cherry trees, 
planted in 1735 by command of the Shogun Yoshi- 
mune. Many of the trees are from sixty to seventy- 
five feet tall, with trunks from ten to twelve feet in 
girth, and crowns from fifty to sixty feet through, and 
when in full flower the scene presented is a never-to- 
be-forgotten one. 

As one result of its recent expedition to Japan the 
Arnold Arboretum has now growing a collection of 
more than seventy varieties of these Cherries and in a 
few years the American public will have an opportun- 
ity of appreciating the attractive charms of these 
plants. Meanwhile, the foflowing kinds of proven 
merit should be grown by all who love a hardy plant. 

The first of these Cherries to open its blossoms is 
Prunus subhirtella, the Higan-sakura or Spring Cherry 
of the Japanese. This is a low bushy tree, rarely 
more than from eighteen to twenty feet tall, with thin, 
ascending-spreading branches and a dense mass of 



CHERRIES AND CRAB APPLES 199 

twiggy branchlets, the whole forming a flattened or flat- 
tened-oval crown from twenty to thirty feet through. 
The flowers are silvery pink and are produced in such 
profusion as to hide completely the twigs and 
branches. This Cherry was introduced to cultiva- 
tion by the Arnold Arboretum in 1894. 

The Weeping Cherry (P. subhirtellay var. pendula) 
has flowers similar to the foregoing to which it is 
very closely related, but it is a much larger tree, growing 
from sixty to seventy feet tall with a trunk from ten 
to twelve feet in girth, and massive spreading limbs 
dividing into branches which curve downward and 
into slender whip-like pendent shoots. It was intro- 
duced into cultivation by Philip Franz von Siebold who 
secured plants for his nursery at Leiden, Holland, 
from Japan about 1863. It is a long-lived tree but 
I have never seen a good example in the Occident. 
In Japan, and especially in the temple grounds, mag- 
nificent specimens are common and there is no more 
graceful or beautiful tree than this Weeping Cherry. 
The Japanese called it Shidare (Hanging) or Ito- 
zakura (Thread Cherry) on account of its very slender, 
whip-like pendent branchlets. 

The Cherry so abundantly grown in and around 
the city of Tokyo and whose season of blossoming is 
made the occasion of a national holiday is the Yosh- 



200 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

ino-sakura (P. yedoensis). This is a large, quick- 
growing tree which at its best is from forty-five to fifty 
feet tall with a trunk from six to eight feet in girth 
and massive spreading branches forming a rounded 
crown from sixty to seventy-five feet through. The 
fragrant flowers are larger than those of the preceding 
two Cherries, and vary in color from pure pink to 
white. If crowded together the trees grow taller, 
but the crowns are narrow and much less shapely. 
It was introduced into the Arnold Arboretum in 1902, 
from Tokyo, and the seedlings have grown very 
rapidly. 

The most beautiful of all the wild species of Asiatic 
Cherries is P. serrulata, var. sachalinensiSy better 
known as P. Sargentii. This is a native of the 
northern and colder parts of Japan and has large, 
pink to rose-colored flowers and the young unfolding 
leaves are a ruddy brown. It is a large and long- 
lived tree and the avenue at Koganei mentioned pre- 
viously is of this species and its varieties. Dr. 
William Sturgis Bigelow sent seeds from Japan to the 
Arnold Arboretum in 1889, and trees raised from these 
seeds are now twenty-five feet tall with trunks four 
feet in girth and crowns thirty feet through. Nearly 
all the Japanese Cherries with double rose-colored 
flowers are forms of this species, and it is the stock 



CHERRIES AND CRAB APPLES 201 

on which all of that class should be grafted or budded 
in order to make them long-lived trees in this climate. 

One of the loveliest of these rose-colored Cherries 
with double flowers is known in western nurseries 
as "James H. Veitch." The Japanese name for it 
is Fugenzo and there is also a white counterpart 
(albo-rosea) which is styled Shirofugen. These two 
are distinguished from all others of this class in hav- 
ing two tiny green and folded leaves in the centre of 
the majority of their flowers as is the case in the 
double-flowered form of the European P. Cerasus. 

Two other Japanese Cherries are P. Sieboldii and 
P. Lannesiana. The first named has rose-pink, 
double or semi-double flowers and its leaves are 
clothed with soft hairs. In nurseries it is sold as 
*' Watered" and as "Naden." The other species has 
many aliases and in its different forms is sold as 
P. pseudo-cerasus and as P. serrulata, names, however, 
to which it has no proper right, and which have proved 
a great bugbear and hindrance to our proper appre- 
ciation of the garden varieties of Japanese Cherries 
generally. In typical P. Lannesiana the flowers are 
pinkish but its wfld form has pure white blossoms. 
All the numerous forms of this Cherry have fragrant 
flowers and they are mostly white or pale pink. One 
sort (Grandiflora or Ukon) has clear yellow flowers 



202 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and in another (Gioiko) the color is yellow with a green 
band down each petal. In both the flowers are 
double. Prunus Sieboldii and P. Lannesiana together 
with their forms are trees from twenty to thirty feet 
tall, with wide-branching heads, and in Japan they 
grow rapidly but are not long lived. 

In the Occident we have not been very successful 
in cultivating the double-flowered forms of these 
Japanese Cherries and from information gained dur- 
ing my recent visit to Japan I am convinced that our 
want of success heretofore has been due to the fact 
that for our climate they have always been grafted 
on the wrong stock. 

All the single-flowered sorts of these Japanese 
Cherries fruit freely with us and should be increased 
by seeds, for seedling trees of these Cherries grow 
more freely and more satisfactorily than those raised 
by other means. All the double or semi-double 
flowered kinds should be grafted or budded on P. 
serrulattty var. sachalinensis. If this be followed I 
make bold to say that these Cherries wiU thrive as 
well, grow as freely, and live as long as they do in 
Japan. 

One other species of Japanese Cherry deserves 
mention and that is P. incisa, which is abundant 
on the lower slopes of Fuji-san and the immediate 



CHERRIES AND CRABAPPLES 203 

vicinity, but is confined to those regions. It is a 
bush or small tree from five to thirty feet tafl with 
ascending and spreading thin branches and twiggy 
branchlets and pale pink to pure white flowers. 
This Cherry blossoms profusely in a small state and 
is the only kind the Japanese dwarf and grow in pots, 
and on this account they designate it the Mame- 
zakura (Dwarf Cherry). 

All the Japanese Cherries make excellent specimens 
on lawns where they are seen to good advantage. 
The smaller growing kinds may be massed together 
for telling effect whilst for avenue trees P. serrulaia, 
var. sachalinensis and P. yedoensis cannot be sur- 
passed. They thrive best in a light loamy soil but 
like all their kin they are subject to attacks of scale 
insects. These pests may easily be kept down and 
the trees maintained in good health by spraying in 
late winter with lime-sulphur (one gallon to eight 
gallons of water) or with miscible oil (one gallon to 
fourteen gallons of water). 

THE CRABAPPLES 

In horticultural and botanical literature the Crab- 
apples are often referred to as "Pyrus (something)" 
but nowadays it is customary to speak of them under 
the generic title of Malus and to restrict that of Pyrus 



204 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

to the Pears, and this is followed here. My inten- 
tion is to tell here of the Crabapples of eastern Asia, 
but there are also several very beautiful species of 
Crabapple native of this country — as for example, 
M. angustifolia, M. fusca, M. glaucescens, M. cor- 
onaria, M. ioensis and its form, known as the Bechtel 
Crab, which has large and fragrant double pink flow- 
ers that look like Roses and excite the interest and ad- 
miration of all beholders. The American Crab- 
apples blossom later than their Asiatic relatives and 
both groups deserve the widest recognition. 

The Siberian {Malus haccata) is the oldest known but 
one of the Asiatic Crabapples, having been introduced 
into Europe in 1784. It is a tree from thirty to forty 
feet tall, with stout, spreading branches and slender 
branchlets which form a broad rounded or more or 
less oval crown. The flowers are pure white and 
delightfully fragrant and are profusely borne in 
clusters; the fruits are small, yellowish, or yellow- 
brown. This tree is widely dispersed in the cold nor- 
thern parts of eastern Siberia and extends southward 
into Mongolia, Mandshuria, and extreme northern 
China. It is the most northern of its class and the 
hardiest of all species of Malus and for this reason 
ought to be used in the colder parts of this country as 
a stock for the common Apple. In the littoral regions 



CHERRIES AND CRABAPPLES 205 

of northeastern Siberia, in Korea, and in northern 
Japan, this species is represented by its variety 
mandschurica which differs in certain technical points 
and has scarlet fruit. In Korea there is a form 
(Jackil) which has handsome, relatively large dark 
red fruit. Under cultivation numerous hybrids be- 
tween Mains baccata and the common Apple and 
other species have arisen and all are ornamental in 
flower and exceedingly beautiful in fruit. They are 
known collectively as Siberian Crabapples but many 
of the varieties have received distinctive names. 

The oldest known of the Crabapples is the Chinese 
M. spedabilis which was introduced from Canton into 
England in 1780. It is cultivated in the Imperial gar- 
dens at Peking and elsewhere in China, but has not yet 
been reported in a wild state. It is a small tree from 
twenty to thirty feet tall with a vase-shaped crown 
made up of numerous rigid ascending branches and 
short branchlets. The flowers are pale pink, more 
or less semi-double and fragrant, and the fruits are 
yellow, nearly globose, and about three quarters of 
an inch in diameter. The habit is rather stiff, but 
this old denizen of gardens with its wealth of clustered 
blossoms is strikingly beautiful. 

A lovely Crabapple bearing in season its pale pink 
flowers in the utmost profusion is M. Scheideckeri, 



206 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

This is also a small tree, loosely pyramidal in habit 
and of hybrid origin and one of its parents is assumed 
to be M. spedabilis. 

The next species to make its debut in this country 
is the celebrated Parkman Crab (M. Halliana) which 
was sent from Japan to the United States by Dr. 
George R. Hall in 1861, and first cultivated by Francis 
Parkman, the historian, in his garden on the shores of 
Jamaica Pond, Boston, Mass. This is a tree-like 
shrub with a broad, bushy crown and twiggy branch- 
lets and rather thick, dark green leaves deeply tinged 
with bronze color where they unfold. The flowers, 
each on a long slender stalk, are borne in clusters and 
are bright rose color, and these are followed by pea- 
like dark greenish red fruit which ripen very late in 
the fall. 

In a family so beautiful as the Crabapple there is 
room for divergence of opinion as to which is the 
finest, but many (of which I am one) consider the 
Parkman Crab the most winsome of all the Asiatic 
species. The type has flowers single or nearly so, 
but there is a form (Parkmanii) which has double 
or semi-double flowers. This lovely plant has long 
been a favorite in the gardens of the flower-loving 
Japanese who cafl it the "Kaido," but like many 
plants cultivated in Japan it is of Chinese origin. 



CHERRIES AND CRABAPPLES 207 

In 1904, I had the pleasure of discovering it growing 
wild in thickets on the frontier of western China and 
Thibet and collected seeds from which plants have 
been successfully raised. 

A very desirable plant is M. atrosanguinea which 
is a hybrid presumably between M. Halliana and 
M. Sieboldii. It is a broad shrub growing ten feet 
or more high with thin spreading and arching branches 
and rose-pink flowers. 

Perhaps the best known of the Asiatic Crabapples 
is M. floribunda, which was introduced about 1853, 
by von Siebold, into Leiden in Holland, yet its native 
country remains unknown to this day. Present- 
day Japanese botanists seem unacquainted with this 
plant and both they and Japanese nurserymen con- 
fuse it with the Parkman Crab, and during my trip 
in Japan I never met with it. However, since our 
gardens are in fortunate possession of it we can waive 
the more academic question of its habitat. It 
is a broad, round-topped, tree-like shrub sometimes 
twenty-five feet tall, and as much in diameter, with 
slender arching and pendent branchlets. The clus- 
tered flowers are pure white when expanded and 
bright rose color in bud, and as they open in succes- 
sion the contrast is singularly beautiful. The fruit 
is about the size of a pea, yellowish or yellow-brown 



208 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and long persistent but not attractive except to birds 
which appear especially fond of it. 

In gardens all the species of Mains hybridize freely 
and the group offers a field of immense interest to 
those who will breed and select the offspring. Some 
years ago there appeared in the Arnold Arboretum 
among a batch of presumed seedlings of M. flori- 
hunda a very distinct plant which has been named 
M. Arnoldiana. It is probably a hybrid between M, 
floribunda and M. baccata, but whatever its origin 
it is certainly one of the most lovely of all Crabapples. 
The habit is similar to that of M. Jloribunda but the 
flowers though of the same color are one half larger 
and the fruit, too, is much bigger. A friend of mine 
who lives at Winchester, Mass., has a fine specimen 
of this hybrid growing under the lee of his house 
and no one has yet been able to persuade him that 
there is any other kind of Crabapple which approxi- 
mates to this in beauty. 

At the same time as von Siebold introduced the gem 
M. floribunda he also introduced another Crabapple 
(A/. Sieboldii, better known as M. toringo). This is a 
low dense shrub of sprawling habit with lobed leaves, 
small flowers, white tinged with rose in color, and 
small yellow fruit. It is really a scrubby form of a 
species widely distributed in Japan and horticultur- 



CHERRIES AND CRABAPPLES 209 

ally inferior to its real type, now known as var. 
arborescens, which is a small tree with ascending and 
spreading branches, twiggy branchlets, and fruit 
yellow or red on different individuals. Another 
variety (calocarpa), raised from seeds sent in 1890 
to the Arnold Arboretum from Japan by Dr. William 
Sturgis Bigelow, has handsome bright red fruits 
half an inch in diameter and is in fruit the most 
strikingly beautiful of all Crabapples. 

Differing from the tree form of M. Sieboldii only 
in certain technical matters is M. zumi which was 
introduced to cultivation by Professor Sargent who 
collected seeds in Japan in 1892. This, too, is a 
very desirable small tree with fragrant white flowers 
and small yellow or red fruits. It is common on the 
slopes of Mt. Fuji and on the shores of Lake Chuzenji 
in the Nikko region. 

Most of the orchard fruits grown in the countries 
of the Far East have been obtained by long cultiva- 
tion from species indigenous in China and have not 
common origin with the same kinds of fruits culti- 
vated in this country and in Europe. The Apple of 
that region is an example. It is only very recently 
that science has become acquainted with the source 
of the Apple of China and Japan although under 
various names it has been in cultivation in the Occi- 



210 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

dent for some sixty years. This Apple (M. pruni- 
folia, var. rinki) grows wild in the mountainous parts 
of central China where I was fortunate enough to dis- 
cover it in the spring of 1901, and later secured seeds 
-which resulted in its successful introduction to our 
gardens. Previous to this discovery it was known 
only from plants cultivated in Japan, and by most 
botanists was considered a very doubtful plant. 
From Japan it was introduced to Europe about 1854, 
and distributed by von Siebold as Mains ringo. In 
habit this species resembles the common Apple but 
its leaves are rather different, the flower stalks are 
much longer, and the fruit is not impressed at the 
summit. As a fruit tree the Chinese Apple is culti- 
vated in central and western China, from river level, 
where the climate is very warm, to altitudes of 9,500 
feet in the more mountainous parts, where a severe 
climate obtains. In northern China and Korea 
it is cultivated sparingly over a wide area. The 
fruit is small, seldom more than one and one fourth 
inch in diameter and slightly longer than broad, of 
a pleasant bitter-sweet flavor and varies in color 
from greenish to greenish yellow and is rosy on one 
side. Occasionally it is nearly all red. Formerly 
this Chinese Apple was cultivated in Japan for its 
fruit, but since the introduction of varieties of the 



CHERRIES AND CRAB APPLES 211 

European Apple its cultivation as a fruit tree has 
been discontinued. 

There are other species, too, of much merit and 
beauty and several new ones whose value we do not 
fully know, but there is one so distinct in habit and 
with a field of usefulness so peculiarly its own that it 
must not be omitted even in this incomplete enumera- 
tion, and that is M. Sargentii. This species is of 
dwarf stature with the branches rigid and spreading, 
and the lower ones flat on the ground, and is emi- 
nently suitable for covering slopes and banks. The 
flowers in umbellate clusters are saucer-shaped, round, 
and of the purest white and these are followed by 
masses of wine-colored fruit which is covered with a 
slight bloom. In its habit, its flowers, and in its fruit 
it is very distinct from all other species. We owe this 
valuable addition to Professor Sargent, who dis- 
covered it in fruit and sent seeds in 1892, from near 
Mororan in Hokkaido, Japan. 

In this group of Asiatic Crabapples there are trees 
for the avenue, park, or garden, shrubs for the lawn 
or border and others suitable for slopes and banks — 
all absolutely hardy in the coldest parts of New Eng- 
land and each and all may be depended upon to pro- 
duce every spring season a wealth of blossoms in 
veritable cascades. The plants grow quickly in 



212 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

good loamy soil and many of them begin to flower 
and produce fruit when only a few years old. They 
will thrive wherever the common Apple will grow 
if attention be paid to keeping them free from the 
scale insects which are destructive to all plants 
of the Apple tribe. This may be accomplished 
readily by spraying with the same antidotes as recom- 
mended in the case of the Japanese Cherries, 



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The common Lilac is known in a great number of varieties, 

with flowers ranging from white to dark purple. Given 

sufficient space they are clothed with their fragrant flowers. 

The variety shown here is Congo 



CHAPTER XII 
IN "LILACDOM" 

THE MOST ADAPTABLE GROUP OF FLOWERING SHRUBS 
FOR FLORAL USE 

IILACS are among the few hardy shrubs that 
have truly entered into their kingdom in 
— ^ the gardens of eastern North America. They 
need no introduction to readers and well they merit 
their popularity. For regions where cold winters are 
followed by hot, dry summers they are ideal shrubs. 
The Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is the most ac- 
commodating of plants and thrives in all sorts of 
queer places and under all sorts of adverse conditions, 
but its progeny and its congeners are more exacting, 
and if good results are expected the plants must be 
treated liberally. 

Now, the Common Lilac is native of the moun- 
tains of Bulgaria and was sent from Constantinople 
to Vienna about 1560. From there it soon reached 
western Europe and both purple and white kinds 
were cultivated in London in 1597, by Gerard. It is 
not known with certainty when, or by whom, this 

213 



214 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Lilac was introduced to North America, but Wash- 
ington wrote about it in his diary and planted it at 
Mt. Vernon where his plants or their descendants 
are growing to this day. But although so long culti- 
vated in gardens it is only recently that its native 
habitat has become known. In the Arnold Arbor- 
etum may be seen growing specimens raised from 
seeds gathered from wild plants. They have narrow 
clusters of dull-purplish flowers and are by no means 
attractive garden shrubs. 

During the last fifty years horticulturists, espe- 
cially those of France and in a lesser degree those of 
Germany, have paid great attention to the Common 
Lilac and the result has been a plethora of beautiful 
shrubs. In fact, virtually all the plants known in a 
general way as Lilacs have been derived from S. 
vulgaris. 1 shall recur to this point later, but it may 
be stated here that the possibilities of improving upon 
the present-day forms of the Common Lilac appear 
to be few but there are other members of the kingdom 
possessing vast potential values. 

The Lilacs, of which some twenty-five species are 
known, are all native of the Old World and some are 
shrubs and others small trees. The Common Lilac 
(S. vulgaris) and its Hungarian confrere (S. Josikaea) 
ve native of southeastern Europe; the Persian Lilac 



IN "lilacdom" 215 

grows wild in southwestern Asia from the Caucasus to 
Afghanistan, and in the western Himalayas S. emodi 
is found. All other known species are natives of 
eastern Asia and no fewer than seventeen species 
are indigeneous in China proper. Only one species 
(S.japonica), and that a Tree Lilac, is found in Japan. 
In the gardens of Peking and of other places in north- 
ern China the white-flowered S. affinis has been cul- 
tivated from time immemorial. 

All Lilacs are very hardy plants, and, notwithstand- 
ing, the fact that none is native of this country every 
species so far brought into cultivation has proved 
hardy in the Arnold Arboretum. When their wide 
range of distribution is duly considered this is remark- 
able. In very severe winters the Himalayan S. 
emodi suffers somewhat and the flowers of the Chinese 
S. oblata are occasionally injured by late spring frosts 
but no other sort is hurt. And not only are Lilacs 
quite hardy in the colder parts of New England and 
elsewhere but they thrive better there than they do 
across the water in Great Britain. 

As mentioned already the ordinary colored and 
white forms of the Common Lilac will withstand 
considerable hardship and abuse but their progeny 
to give the best results demand a good soU and this is 
true for all the other species. A well-drained, good, 



216 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

rich loamy soil suits them best and if the soil contains 
a certain amount of lime so much the better, for 
Lilacs generally are fond of lime. Full exposure to 
the sun and air is necessary and their beauty is dis- 
played to best advantage when the plants are allowed 
a sufficiency of space in which to develop freely. 
They are essentially plants for northern New Eng- 
land and regions with a similar climate; in southern 
New England and southward the leaves in summer are 
often temporarily disfigured by mildew. 

A decade or a little more ago it was customary to 
propagate Lilacs by grafting them on Privet (Ligus- 
trum) stock, but this pernicious practice has met with 
the opprobrium it merits and to-day any dealer selling 
plants so propagated deserves to be ostracized. It is 
the nature of most Lilacs, and of the Common Lilac 
in particular, to sucker freely and this alone demon- 
strates the necessity for their being on their own roots. 
If the plants get unshapely or too large, own-root 
Lilacs may be cut almost to the ground with advan- 
tage for they will spring up and soon make shapely 
bushes again. Cuttings three to four inches long 
of green wood taken in early June, or of thin but firm, 
half-ripened wood taken from mid-July to early 
August, and inserted in prepared soil or sand on a 
spent hotbed, or in pure sand in a frame and kept close. 



IN "lilacdom" 217 

will root in about six weeks, and in three years make 
nice plants. Also they may be budded or grafted on 
seedUng stock of the Common Lilac and by this 
method, although it is not to be recommended, sala- 
ble plants are produced in two years. When pot- 
ting the stocks carefully remove all adventitious 
buds; suckers should not be used as stock since it is 
impossible in these to control the development of 
adventitious buds. But, after all, there is no valid 
reason for propagating Lilacs other than by cuttings 
for by this means the particular variety is on its own 
roots and the advantage to the garden lover is obvious 
and lasting. 

In the Arnold Arboretum about one hundred 
and twenty named varieties of the Common Lilac 
are cultivated and in addition some twenty species 
and several hybrids, and the season of flowering lasts 
from about the first of May to the first week of July. 
In Highland Park, Rochester, N. Y., where great 
attention has been given to these plants, there is the 
most complete collection of the varieties of the Com- 
mon Lilac to be found anywhere on this continent. 
In all, this park has two hundred and ninety-seven 
kinds of Lilacs and on May 22, 1915 — "Lilac Sunday" 
— between the hours of six a. m. and eight p. m. some 
fifty to sixty thousand people visited this collection. 



218 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Such collections are of great interest and of much 
educational value; but private gardens cannot ac- 
commodate such numbers. 

If the best only be desired no such quantity is 
necessary, for within the limits of a dozen the best 
and most desirable kinds of the Common Lilac may 
be had. In recent years many of the seedlings raised 
and named and sold by nurserymen show no improve- 
ment on the older varieties. The beauty limit ap- 
pears to have been reached and it is evident that no 
great additional improvement can now be expected 
from seedlings of the Common Lilac. But granted 
that a dozen will include all that is best in these plants 
the selection is onerous and difficult since individual 
taste is all important. Some people do not like the 
double-flowered sorts and others have preferences 
for certain shades of color. I am without prejudice 
or bias in these matters and of the sorts of the Com- 
mon Lilac of proven merit in the Arnold Arboretum 
I would select the following dozen: Marie Legraye, 
Princess Alexandre (single white) ; Madame Lemoine, 
Miss Ellen Willmott (double white) ; Gloire de Moul- 
ins, Macrostachya (pink); Charles X (rosy lilac); 
Volcan, Congo, Philemon, Ludwig Spath (dark red- 
purple); Justi (blue). Be it understood all these are 
forms of the Common Lilac and it is not supposed that 



IN "lilacdom" 219 

this selection in its entirety would satisfy every en- 
thusiast. 

But the Common Lilac and its very numerous 
descendants do not exhaust Lilacdom. Far from it 
— ^very far from it. There are other species and there 
are hybrids of singular beauty and charm which 
deserve wide recognition. Some blossom earlier 
than the Common Lilac and its forms, and others 
later; together they extend very considerably the 
Lilac season. Further, it is in the hybridizing of 
these species that advance in this useful and pleasing 
class of plants must be looked for in the future. As 
we shall see later a beginning has been made and our 
gardens enriched thereby. 

Each succeeding year in the Arnold Arboretum 
there is a close race between two Chinese species 
(S. affinis and S. ohlata), to be the first Lilac to blos- 
som and usually the first-named wins. This has 
white flowers and is very abundantly cultivated in 
the gardens of Peking, and from there was introduced 
into the Arnold Arboretum by Mr. S. T. Williams 
in April, 1904. It is a tall bush of loose, irregular 
habit and has thin branches and sweetly fragrant 
flowers. The wild prototype of this Lilac was re- 
cently discovered in northern China and named var. 
Giialdii, after Pere G. Girald, an Italian priest of the 



220 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Roman Catholic Church, and reached us through V. 
Lemoine et Fils in 1906. This has mauve-colored 
flowers which open about the same time as the type. 
The other species (5. oblaia) is a sturdy and broad 
shrub of good habit and has handsome leaves, thick 
and leathery in texture, which in the autumn turn 
to a deep, bronze-red or wine color. The flowers 
are large, pale lilac, and very fragrant but unfortu- 
nately they are often injured by late frosts. It was 
introduced into England by Robert Fortune from 
Shanghai about 1854. In Peking gardens it is much 
cultivated and Dr. E. Bretschneider sent seeds from 
Peking to the Botanical Garden, Petrograd, where 
plants from this source flowered in 1888. 

The next Lilac to open is S. pubescenSy also native 
of northern China, and was introduced in 1882 by 
Dr. E. Bretschneider who sent seeds to the Arnold 
Arboretum, where it flowered for the first time in 
1886. This is a free-growing and free-flowering 
shrub with erect and rather slender stems, small 
hairy leaves, and large clusters of pale Ulac, fragrant, 
long-tubed, and rather small flowers with dark violet 
anthers and is among the most beautiful of all Lilacs. 
These three Chinese species are the heralds of Lilac- 
dom. In rapid succession follow the Common Lilac 
with its numerous progeny and several other species. 



IN "lilagdom" 221 

After the Common Lilac has finished flowering, 
or nearly so, the Persian Lilac (5. per ska) y with its 
huge clusters of small fragrant flowers which weigh 
down the slender branches, assumes the throne. 
This lovely Lilac was cultivated in England as early 
as the middle of the seventeenth century but it is 
now all too seldom seen in gardens. In cultivation 
it is a broad and shapely bush of medium height 
with small leaves and is extraordinarily floriferous. 
The type has pale rosy purple flowers, and so, too, has 
the form laciniata with deeply incised leaves, but 
there is also a white-flowered variety (alba). 

Closely related to the Persian Lilac is S. pinnatifoliay 
a new-comer which I had the pleasure of discovering 
on the borders of China and Thibet and of introducing 
to cultivation in 1904. This species is remarkable 
in having pinnately divided leaves and in this char- 
acter is distinct from all others. It has small pale 
mauve-colored flowers which are borne in broad 
pyramidate clusters; but thus far, under cultivation, 
it has not flowered freely and unless it improves with 
age it will have to be considered more in the light of a 
curiosity than anything else. 

The most distinct of all Lilacs is the new S. reftexa 
with narrow, cylindrical flower clusters from nine to 
twelve inches long which arch downward from near 



222 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

the base and thus hang somewhat Hke the inflores- 
cence of the Wistaria. The expanding flower-buds 
are bright red and the open flowers are pale rose color. 
It will thus be seen that this is a plant of singular 
and most distinctive beauty and in the hands of the 
hybridist may be the forerunner of a race totally 
different in aspect when in flower from present-day 
Lflacs. A strong-growing shrub from eight to twelve 
feet high, with erect stems and oblong lance-shaped 
leaves, its season of flowering is mid-June. It is na- 
tive of the margins of woods and thickets on the 
mountains of western Hupeh, in central China, where 
I had the good fortune to discover it in 1901, and of 
introducing it, together with another new species 
{S. Julianae), in 1902. The latter is a broad shrub 
scarcely exceeding five feet in height but is twice that 
much in diameter, and has thin and twiggy branches 
and small, softly hairy leaves. Its rather small clus- 
ters are very freely produced and the flowers are small 
and fragrant and have violet-colored anthers. It 
differs from all other Lflacs in having the stalks of 
the inflorescence and of the individual flowers and 
also the outer surface of the corolla-tube a deep 
purple color. The inner surface of the corolla is 
white so that as the flowers open the inflorescence 
is purple and white and the contrast is most pleasing 



IN "lilacdom" 223 

and is heightened by the dark violet anthers. It 
flowers toward the end of June. 

A late-flowering species which under cultivation 
has yet to show its qualities in perfection is S. 
iomentella. I saw this plant in flower for the first 
time on July 9, 1908, on the frontiers of eastern 
Thibet at an altitude of nine thousand feet, and I 
thought then that I had never before seen such a 
handsome species of Lilac. It had foot-high, broad 
panicles of pink to rosy lilac colored flowers and on 
other bushes they were white. The plants were 
from eight to fifteen feet high, much-branched yet 
compact in habit, and the wealth of flower clusters 
made it conspicuous from afar. The leaves are 
elliptic-lance-shaped or rather broader, from four to six 
inches long and more or less hairy on the underside. 
In 1903, I had collected in the same locality seeds 
of this Lilac and successfully introduced it to culti- 
vation. Being rather variable in certain characters 
it has received several names {S. Wilsonii, S. Rehderi- 
ana, S. alborosea), but it must be known by its 
oldest name of S. iomentella. Under cultivation it 
has flowered several times and I am patiently wait- 
ing for it to show its real character. 

Of the late-flowering Lilacs the best known in this 
country and perhaps the hardiest of all is S. villosa. 



224 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

a native of northern China; and from near Peking, in- 
troduced by Dr. E. Bretschneider into the Arnold Arbor- 
etum in 1882. It is a large shrub of excellent habit 
with erect fairly stout branches and oblong-lance- 
shaped, rather pale green leaves. The flowers are 
rose-colored, pink, or nearly white, but they have an 
unpleasant odor. It is, however, a first-rate garden 
shrub, exceedingly floriferous, and very valuable for 
its hardiness and for its late flowers. Very similar in 
habit to the above but with bluish purple flowers is 
the Hungarian Lilac {S. Josikaea) and though much 
inferior to its Chinese relative as a garden shrub it 
has proved valuable as a parent as we shall see when 
we come to the hybrids. 

Of all late-flowering Lilacs the most strikingly 
handsome is S, Wolfii, native of Mandshuria and in- 
troduced into cultivation at Petrograd by Russian 
botanists. From there it was sent to the Arnold 
Arboretum in 1906, before it had received a name. 
In foliage and habit it resembles S. villosa but it is 
much more vigorous and a taller plant. The flowers 
are small, dark blue-purple to rose-purple and are 
borne in erect, branched clusters often two feet 
high and a foot broad and are produced in great pro- 
fusion. Unfortunately the flowers lack the fragrance 
of the Common Lilac and of several of the Chinese 



IN *'lilacdom" 225 

species but in spectacular beauty it transcends them 
all. 

The Himalayan Lilac (S. emodi) is among the last 
of the true Lilacs to flower and is less hardy than 
any other. It is a large bush, or bushy tree, occasion- 
ally eighteen feet tall, with oblong, pointed leaves, 
light yellow-green above, silvery gray, and hairy be- 
low, and bears long, narrow clusters of small white 
fragrant flowers. In its pale foliage it is distinct 
from other Lilacs and it is one of the very few species 
which thrive better in Great Britain than in New 
England. 

In 1915, the last of the true Lilacs to flower in the 
Arnold Arboretum was S. Sweginzowii, a new-comer 
from northwestern China. This is a shrub of com- 
pact habit with rather slender dark red branches and 
twiggy branchlets with dark dull green sharp-pointed 
leaves and long narrow clusters of delicately fragrant 
blossoms. The flowers are flesh-colored in bud and 
nearly white when fully open and the corolla-tube is 
slender and about half an inch long. 

Of true Lflacs some half-dozen other species are 
in cultivation in the Arnold Arboretum and promise 
to have their own peculiar sphere of usefulness in 
gardens. But at present we do not know enough 
about their garden value, and, since they are scarcely 



226 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

obtainable, further mention of them may be omit- 
ted. 

The Tree Lilacs, of which there are three species 
all native of northeastern Asia, differ from the true 
Lilacs in having a short corolla-tube and protruded 
stamens. They are large shrubs or small trees with 
large, broad, much-branched clusters of white flowers 
of unpleasant odor. They blossom when the flowers 
of the latest of the true Lilacs are fading. The first 
of these Tree Lilacs to bloom is S. amurensis, from 
the Amur region of northeastern Asia. This is a 
small bushy tree with dark green leaves and flat- 
spreading and slightly drooping clusters of ivory- 
white flowers. The next to open its flowers is S. 
pekinensis, native as its name suggests of northern 
China, and is a large bush or bushy tree from twenty- 
five to thirty feet high and as much through the 
crown. The branches are more or less pendent at 
the ends and are clothed with lustrous reddish brown 
bark which separates into thin layers like that of 
certain Birch trees. The pointed leaves are long and 
narrow and hang gracefully and are surmounted by 
half-drooping flower clusters which are flat and un- 
symmetrical and smaller than those of the other two 
species of this group. It was introduced into cultiva- 
tion by Dr. E. Bretschneider who in 1882 sent seeds 



IN "lilacdom" 227 

to the Arnold Arboretum, where it flowered for the 
first time in 1889. 

The last to flower is S. japonica and this is the 
best known of the Tree Lflacs. It is common in the 
moist woods and forests of central Japan and in- 
creasingly so northward and throughout Hokkaido, 
whence it was introduced into cultivation by Mr. Wil- 
liam S. Clark who sent seeds to the Arnold Arboretum 
in 1876. At its best it is a round-topped tree from 
thirty to forty feet tall with a clean, stout trunk cov- 
ered with smooth, lustrous bark like that of a Cherry 
tree. The leaves are large, thick, and dark green and 
the flowers are borne in large, erect symmetrical clus- 
ters. The wood is very durable in the ground and 
for this reason is esteemed above that of all other trees 
by the Ainu people of Hokkaido for making their 
177005 or wooden wands used for religious and cere- 
monial purposes. These inaos are looked upon as 
continual guardians against harm from Nature, dis- 
ease, and evil spirits. 

Apart from the very numerous seedling varieties 
of the Common Lflac there are a number of very 
beautiful Lilacs of hybrid origin and in the years to 
come a great development of this favorite shrub may 
be looked for along these lines. Hybrids are usually 
more vigorous in growth than species and often 



228 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

vastly more useful as garden plants. Plant-breeding 
is full of surprises and it is often the case that parents 
of indifferent or relatively little garden beauty by 
judicious mating yield offspring of inestimable value. 
Already this has happened in Lilacdom. The Hun- 
garian S. Josikaea is perhaps the least beautiful of all 
known Lilacs but crossed with the Chinese 5. villosa 
it has given rise to a handsome new race known col- 
lectively as S. Henryi after the originator, Monsieur 
L. Henry, a gardener at one time attached to the 
Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The best known and 
most beautiful of these hybrids is Lutece, which is a 
compact, fast-growing, large shrub with foliage re- 
sembling that of S. villosa, and large, erect clusters of 
rose-purple flowers and it is one of the latest of all 
Lilacs to blossom. 

The oldest of Hybrid Lilacs and one of the bright- 
est jewels in the crown of Lilacdom is the Rouen Lilac 
which appeared in the Botanic Garden at Rouen in 
1795. It is a hybrid between the Common Lilac 
(5. vulgaris) and the Persian (5. persica) but through 
an error as to its origin it was christened S. chinensis 
— a name at once unfortunate and utterly misleading. 
In gardens it is also known as S. rothomagensis. It 
is one of the most floriferous of all Lilacs and in its 
slender branches and narrow leaves and its small 



IN "lilacdom** 229 

flowers borne in enormous clusters it resembles its 
Persian parent while the color of the flowers shows the 
influence of the Common Lilac. In addition to the type 
there is a form {alba) with nearly white flowers. 

Another interesting hybrid, also raised in France, is 
S. hyacinthiflora which is a cross between the Common 
Lilac (S. vulgaris) and the Chinese S. oblata. It is a 
large and vigorous and shapely plant with good foli- 
age and smaU clusters of small, semi-double, bluish 
purple, very fragrant flowers. It is less ornamental 
than many other Lilacs and as a garden plant it is 
chiefly valuable on account of its earliness to blossom, 
a character which it inherits from its Chinese parent. 

There are other hybrids of value though less well 
known, but enough has been written here to prove, 
if it be necessary, that even if the Lilac has entered 
into its kingdom the frontiers of its dominion have 
not yet been approached. 



CHAPTER XIII 
NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS FROM CHINA 

SOME NOVELTIES FOR THE HARDY PERENNIAL GAR- 
DEN THAT PROMISE WELL 

A MONO the wealth of new material which 
/ % recent plant exploration work in central 
JL JL and western China has added to the gardens 
of North America and Europe there are not lacking 
herbs of more than usual interest and value. My own 
specialty is woody plants, but actuated by an ardent 
love for flowers of all sorts opportunity to send home 
material of herbaceous plants was never missed. 
Moreover, the principal object of my second jour- 
ney to China (1903-05) was to try to introduce a 
yellow-flowered Poppywort {Meconopsis integrifolia) 
which was known to grow in the alpine regions of 
the Chino-Thibetan borderland. Complete success 
attended the quest but the plant has not taken very 
kindly to cultivation in Great Britain and it cannot 
be recommended as a suitable plant for American 
gardens. 

This Poppywort is a biennial and grows from 
one and a half to three feet tall and has rather 

230 



i3 H -^ 




NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 231 

globular, clear yellow flowers each from six to eight 
inches in diameter. It is probably the most gor- 
geously beautiful of all alpine plants, and what joy it 
would give me could I recommend it to the garden 
lovers of this country in general. This cannot be 
done, yet it is probable that in parts of Maine, like 
Bar Harbor, in Oregon, British Columbia, and other 
districts enjoying a cool summer climate and an 
abundant snowfall in winter, this remarkable plant 
would thrive. I do not know that it has been given 
a trial in the regions mentioned. But if this Poppy- 
wort is not for the ordinary garden there are other 
handsome and useful herbs from central and western 
China which are easily cultivated and are deserv- 
ing of the widest recognition. In this chapter I pro- 
pose to mention in cursory detail what I consider to 
be the best of the herbs it has been my good 
fortune and privilege to introduce to the gardens of 
western lands. The great majority are vigorous- 
growing and very hardy herbaceous perennials and 
in this connection a few remarks of a general charac- 
ter may be in order. 

Hardy herbaceous plants do not at present en- 
joy the same favor in this country as in Great Brit- 
ain but each succeeding year appreciation of them 
increases. Like trees and shrubs, perennial herbs 



232 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

give permanence to garden beauty and are essen- 
tials in the order and fitness of things. In every 
garden, large or small, there is place for them, 
and in this class of herbs there is a great variety 
of plants of perfect hardiness and of easy culture 
which will embellish and beautify any and every 
site, be it the woodland, waterside, open border, or 
the immediate precincts of the home. In a natural 
state a majority of these showy and vigorous herbs 
grow on the margins of woods and thickets, in moist 
meadows, or by the sides of streams and lakes. In 
such places the roots are kept cool and abundantly 
supplied with moisture and in the autumn the 
crowns are covered with quantities of fallen leaves. 
These facts are significant and their appreciation of 
fundamental importance in the successful cultivation 
of these plants. If one is desirous of growing good 
vegetables the soil must be rich and must be kept so 
by frequent dressings of farm-yard manure or some 
equivalent fertilizer, and this is true in the matter of 
herbaceous perennials. In addition to a rich soil, 
ample water supply at the root, and an autumn mulch 
of leaves and well-rotted manure, frequent division 
of the root-stock and transplanting are essential to 
ensure full results in border cultivation of most hardy 
perennial herbs. Lastly, it may be pointed out that 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 233 

this class of plants will withstand low winter tem- 
peratures with immunity but summer drought is 
fatal. They revel in regions where in summer hot, 
sunny days are followed by cool nights and where 
precipitation is even and ample. 

For the waterside and woodland the Senecio tribe 
is full of good things. The genus is one of the largest 
in the vegetable kingdom. It has a world-wide dis- 
tribution and in China alone is represented by more 
than a hundred distinct species. The majority of 
these are weeds pure and simple and of no ornamental 
value whatsoever. On the contrary, others such as 
S. clivoTum, S. Veitchianus, and S. Wilsonianus are of 
striking beauty. These three species agree in having 
bold, reniform-cordate dark green leaves each a foot 
or more across, on long and stout stalks, but are 
otherwise quite dissimilar. The first named has a 
much-branched flattened inflorescence, from one and a 
half to two feet across and raised well above the 
luxuriant foliage and bearing masses of Aster-like 
flowers, each from three to five inches in diameter and 
of a peculiarly rich golden yellow color in shade un- 
like that of any other plant in cultivation. Senecio 
Veitchianus and S. Wilsonianus have erect spikes of 
flowers from five to six feet or more tall. In the first the 
spike is simple and tapering and the flowers are clear 



234 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

yellow in color. In S. Wilsonianus the spike is 
cylindrical, like an enormously elongated thyrse, 
and branching at the base, and the flowers are deep 
yellow. In both of these plants the actual length of 
the spike clothed with flowers is from two to three feet. 
Strong clumps of these three Senecios produce in 
August and September a dozen or more flowering 
spikes bearing many hundreds of flowers and are 
extremely attractive. 

Quite different from the above but equally charming 
is S. tanguticus which grows from four to five feet tall 
and has finely cut foliage and pyramidate panicles from 
eight inches to a foot high of clear yellow flowers. The 
individual flowers are small and the whole plant sug- 
gests a glorified Golden-rod (Solidago). These Sen- 
ecios may be easily raised from the seeds which are 
freely produced and the seedlings grow rapidly and 
soon make strong flowering plants. Senecio tangu- 
ticus is apt to make itself too much at home and must 
be watched or it will usurp the whole waterside or 
border. 

Closely aUied to the above-mentioned plants but 
totally different in appearance is Artemisia ladiflora. 
This new Wormwood has finely divided, Chrysan- 
themum-like, aromatic leaves and large feathery 
panicles of milk-white, fragrant flowers borne on 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 235 

stems from three to four feet tall. In central China 
this plant is a weed of cultivation and when sending 
it home I little thought that it would so quickly 
develop into such a charming and useful garden plant. 
It may be increased easily from seeds or by division 
of the rootstock. 

Few subjects are more popular for pot-forcing 
for winter work than Astilbe japonica and A. astil- 
boides, both old but indispensable plants. Their 
recently discovered relatives, A. Davidii and A. 
grandiSy are not useful for this purpose; but for the 
moist border and the waterside they possess much 
higher claims than our old friends. David's Astilbe 
was the first of the two known and caused quite a 
sensation when exhibited. The flowers are of a 
peculiar shade of red, known before only in the 
Loosestrife (Lythrum Salicaria), and the anthers are 
blue. The flowering stems are six feet tall with the 
flowers densely crowded on much-branched panicles 
having ascending lateral branches and from two to two 
and a half feet long. Partial shade is best for this 
plant since in strong sun the flowers bleach. Astilbe 
grandis is similar in habit and vigor of growth but 
has pure white flowers larger than those of any other 
Astilbe, and the lateral branches of the flower pan- 
icle spread horizontally. The leaves of both species 



236 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

resemble those of A. japonica but are much larger 
and of greater substance. Hybridists in France and 
Germany have employed these and other species in 
the breeding of a new and beautiful race of hybrid 
Astilbes of which A. Arendsii is the type, and there 
are many named varieties on the market. These 
Astilbes are easily propagated by division of the root- 
stock and the species may be raised from seeds with- 
out difTiculty. 

Well fitted for planting alongside Astilbes, or on 
wet humus-clad rocks are Rodgersia aesculifolia, R. 
pinnata, var. alba, and R. sambucifolia. These are 
strong-growing plants with broad thyrsoid panicles, 
each from a foot to eighteen inches long, of fragrant 
flowers borne well above the foliage on spikes from three 
to five feet tall. In R, sambucifolia the leaves are 
truly pinnate but in the others they resemble in form 
and texture those of the Buckeye (Aesculus). The 
flowers are of the purest white. Rodgersias are easily 
raised from seeds but they grow slowly; the rootstock 
is a stout rhizome and it is best to commence with 
strong established roots. 

The Rhubarbs are well known and their bold foli- 
age and tall flower spikes make them noble ob- 
jects yet they can scarcely be classed as choice 
herbs. Very unlike an ordinary Rhubarb, however, 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 237 

is the new Rheum Alexandrae. This remarkable plant 
has neat, ovate-cordate, shining dark green leaves, 
each a foot or more long, and an erect tower-like 
inflorescence a yard or more tall, the showy part of 
which consists of broad, rounded, decurved cowslip- 
yellow bracts overlapping one another like tiles on a 
house and beneath which, secure from rain, nestle 
clusters of inconspicuous flowers. This Rhubarb 
is native of the alpine meadows and moorlands of 
the Chino-Thibetan borderland where its peculiar 
and rich-colored inflorescence makes it conspicuous 
from afar. The plant grows well in any good, rich, 
moist garden soil and is fond of partial shade and of 
cow dung. It is easily raised from seeds but requires 
several years to develop strong-flowering crowns. 

The Aconites or Monkshoods are old-fashioned 
flowers and count among their numbers many good 
garden plants. One of these is Aconitum Wilsonii 
which is related to the old A. napellus and is a strong- 
growing species with stems from six to eight feet tall 
and flowers in September. The leaves are leathery, 
dull green, and deeply incised; the flowers large and 
deep blue in color. After the main spike is past 
axillary branches continue to bear flowers until the 
advent of sharp frosts. The rootstock is tuberous 
and the plants require a rich soU and to get estab- 



238 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

lished before the best results are obtained. Another 
good and very distinct Monkshood is A. Hemsley- 
anum. This is a twining plant growing from eight to 
twelve feet high, and in a wild state frequents thickets 
where it rambles over shrubs and festoons them with 
a wealth of large blossoms in August and September. 
The flowers vary considerably in color and although 
most people like the deep blue best others declare 
the pale blue forms equally beautiful. The rootstock 
is tuberous and the twining stems, if made into cut- 
tings in late July, root readily. Aconitum Wilsonii 
is easily raised from seeds but the opposite is true of 
A. Hemsleyanum. 

The Meadow-rues (Thalictrum), although they have 
beautiful leaves, are not regarded as showy garden 
plants yet the new T. dipterocarpum is one of the love- 
liest herbs imaginable. It grows from eight to ten feet 
tall and the flower stems are very much branched 
and bear relatively large lavender-purple flowers 
in great quantity. The leaves are broad and much 
divided and the whole habit and appearance of the 
plant are most graceful and elegant. It requires a 
good, well-drained soil, is fond of lime, and revels in 
sunshine. Another sun-loving herb is Salvia Przewal- 
skii which grows from two to two and a half feet high 
and has large blue-purple flowers and good foliage. 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 239 

(The Iris family is one of the most beautiful of all, 
and Iris chrysographes and /. Wilsonii are welcome 
additions. These new-comers are allied to the well- 
known /. sibirica and have a similar habit and fibrous 
rootstocks. They grow from two to two and a half feet 
high, are very free flowering and have narrow, dark 
green leaves. In /. chrysographes the standards are 
brilliant dark purple-violet and the falls reddish- 
purple, each with a median stripe and numerous 
spots of golden yellow near the base. Iris Wilsonii has 
clear yellow flowers with a copious veining of purple 
on the lower half of the falls. These two new species 
delight in a moist loamy soil, are not averse to 
partial shade, and are well suited for planting by the 
side of water. 

In recent years China has given to gardens in the 
west many very beautiful kinds of Primroses and 
among them Primula pulverulenta, P. Cockhurniana^ 
and P. Veitchii. In habit and in foliage the first 
named resembles the well-known P. japonica but 
has flower scapes a yard or more tall and each bears 
nine to eleven whorls of flowers. The individual 
flowers are a third larger than those of the Japanese 
Primrose, rich crimson in color and often twenty or 
more in a single whorl. The flower scapes are 
clothed with a white farina and it is this peculiarity 



240 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

« 

together with its large flowers and taller scapes that 
makes this new plant so very superior to P. japonica 
and undoubtedly one of the very finest of all hardy 
Primroses. There is an albino form, known as var. 
Mrs. R. V. Berkeley, which has cream-white flowers 
each with a rich orange-colored eye, and is a worthy 
companion to the crimson-flowered type. In Massa- 
chusetts P. pulverulenta thrives and is perfectly hardy; 
in one garden I know, that of General Stephen M. 
Weld at Dedham, Mass., there are large colonies 
of this plant naturalized from self-sown seeds. It is a 
true perennial of vigorous growth, is very floriferous, 
and remains in flower for a couple of months. 

Primula Cockburniana has neat obovate, pale 
green leaves and bright orange-scarlet flowers, each 
an inch across, and borne in several whorls on scapes 
from one to one and a half feet high. The color of the 
flowers in this Primrose is unique in the family and is 
one of the rarest colors in the vegetable kingdom, 
but, unfortunately, the plant is virtually a biennial. 
Hybridists, however, have secured several crosses 
between it and P. pulverulenta and some of these 
hybrids have the perennial character of the last 
named and flowers of the same color as those of P. 
Cockburniana. In stature and habit these hybrids — 
to which the names Unique and Unique Improved 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 241 

have been given by the raisers — are intermediate, and 
there is every possibility of a new race of hardy Prim- 
roses, distinguished by their remarkable orange- 
scarlet-colored flowers, being developed from these 
two species. A shady position, fairly heavy loam, 
cow dung, and an abundance of water at the roots 
are the essentials for the successful culture of these 
Primroses. An ideal spot is the side of a woodland 
stream free of rank weeds. 

The third species (P. Veitchii) is a true perennial, 
with leaves resembling those of P. obconica but with 
a dense felt of white hairs covering the underside. 
The flowers are of a pleasing bright rose color and are 
freely produced in whorls on scapes from one to one and 
a half feet tall. A hardy P. obconica with non-poison- 
ous leaves sums up P. Veitchii. A light loamy soil rich 
in leaf-mold and a moderately dry situation are neces- 
sary for its successful cultivation and under such con- 
ditions it will naturalize itself. 

Although not hardy except in the warmer parts of 
this country Corydalis thalictrifolia and C. Wilsonii 
deserve mention here. The first has leaves rather 
fleshy in texture in shape resembling those of a 
Maidenhair Fern, and very numerous erect racemes 
of large clear yellow flowers. The other is a smaller 
plant with finely cut leaves, covered with a white 



242 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

farina, and erect racemes of deep yellow flowers. 
If seeds be sown in May in a cool greenhouse and the 
seedlings potted on they will flower the following 
winter. Their culture is of the simplest and those on 
the look-out for pleasing decorative plants, for basket 
or pot culture in a cool greenhouse, will do well to 
give C. thalidrifolia and C. Wilsonii a trial. 

Lilies belong in the category of herbaceous peren- 
nials and I am tempted to add a word on their behalf. 
At the commencement of this chapter it is emphat- 
ically laid down that a rich soil is necessary to obtain 
full results in the herbaceous border. Lilies are an 
exception. To them manure is absolutely inimical 
and I do so much wish that lovers of these flowers 
would appreciate this fundamental truth. It is true 
that some, like Lilium tigrinum and L. Henryi, will 
withstand abuse in this direction as in others, but 
there are very few that can. The herbaceous border 
with its rich soil is not the place for Lilies. They 
should be planted in association with low-growing 
shrubs, as stated in Chapter II. 

In the Regal Lily (L. regale) it is generally conceded 
that garden lovers have a "jewel beyond price,*' but 
the discoverer is fearful lest its admirers undo it with 
kindness. Loam, leaf-soil, good drainage, and full 
exposure to sun and air are the essentials demanded 



NEW HERBACEOUS PLANTS 243 

by this Lily. Do not give it fertilizer in any form any 
more than you would give an infant in arms beef- 
steak. And this is true for Lilies generally in the 
outdoor garden where they are planted in the hopes 
of their yielding flowers from year to year. Mulch 
them with leaves in the fall but do not, if you value 
your Lilies, feed them with manure. 



CHAPTER XIV 

"HARDY" RHODODENDRONS 

America's needs and the opportunities to meet 

them — what must be done to shake off the 

shackles of europe's models 

RHODODENDRONS are in the forefront among 
hardy ornamental shrubs and are warm 
L favorites in the gardens of this country 
and of Europe and more especially those of the Brit- 
ish Isles. The evergreen section with its bold foliage 
and large clusters of handsome flowers numbers 
within its ranks some of the noblest of all plants 
found in the north temperate regions. The section 
with deciduous leaves is not surpassed in wealth 
of blossom by any class of hardy shrubs. The flow- 
ers vary enormously in size in the different species 
and embrace all shades of every color except blue. 
In many the flowers are delightfully fragrant and 
where the climate is congenial the season of flower- 
ing is virtually continuous the year round. Small 
wonder then that the desire to possess them is so 
very general. No class of shrubs possesses greater 
attractions, and given certain essential conditions 

244 



hardy' rhododendrons 245 

and provided the varieties planted are perfectly 
hardy their culture is fairly simple. But in the colder 
parts of the United States of America the climate is 
such that only the very toughest of existing varieties 
survive the summer drought and winter cold, and the 
need of a more enduring race is patent. In this 
chapter it is proposed to go fairly exhaustively over 
the whole field of hardy Rhododendrons and to 
draw attention not only to a majority of the best 
sorts American gardens possess, but to delve deeper 
and point out a possible way toward the attainment 
of a race more suitable to the climatic conditions 
that obtain. 

The subject has many aspects but it may be 
opened by remarks on the essential points in the cul- 
ture of this class of plants in general. Evergreen 
Rhododendrons are mainly woodland, and in a 
measure also alpine, plants, and must never be al- 
lowed to get dry at the roots. A situation screened 
from the morning sun and sheltered from cold cutting 
winds and where the roots may be kept cool is essen- 
tial to success. The strong sun in March which 
draws moisture from the leaves when the ground is 
frozen and the roots perforce incapable of making 
good the loss is a potent cause of death. This in 
conjunction with the tender strain in the present-day 



246 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

race and the fact that the majority are grafted on the 
not hardy R. ponticum very thoroughly explain the dis- 
appointment so generally experienced by American 
lovers of these plants, and especially those who gar- 
den in New England. 

If practicable it is best to plant these Rhododen- 
drons in association with trees; for, by so doing, they 
receive a measure of protection from the sun's direct 
rays. In thin woods or on the margins of such 
woods are good sites and if the situation be open and 
exposed a screen of conifers — Hemlock, White or Red 
Pine — should be afforded them. If the situation 
be such that the roots are kept cool by a thorough 
water-supply, the nature of the soil (always provided 
it does not contain lime) is of less importance than 
is often claimed. Where the White and Red Pine, 
Birch, Chestnut, and White Oak thrive, Rhododen- 
drons will grow. A soil free of lime — sweet, moist, 
and porous — and fairly rich in leaf-soil is the ideal. A 
decomposed granitic soil rich in humus is excellent. 
In the absence of lime. Rhododendrons will grow in 
good loamy soil; but it should ever be remembered 
that they are humus-loving plants and require to 
be mulched with leaves and the soil enriched with 
leaf-soil or sandy peat. It is usually assumed that 
peat is necessary in order to grow these plants, but as 



hardy' rhododendrons 247 

a matter of fact a far greater number of the species 
find a home on humus-clad rocks and cliffs than in 
peat swamps. 

in regions where the seasons are milder than in 
New England, these Rhododendrons will thrive in 
positions more or less fully exposed to the sun; but 
no matter where they are planted they must never be 
allowed to suffer from drought. The root system of 
all Rhododenrons is fibrous and scarcely descends 
more than a foot below the surface. Obviously a 
mass of fine hair-like roots near the surface of the 
ground cannot withstand drought and the need of a 
mulch of leaves is clearly shown. On account of 
their fibrous root system, Rhododendrons are easy 
subjects to transplant provided this be done with a 
large ball of earth and due attention be given to 
keeping them properly supplied with water after- 
ward. 

The hardy members of the Azalea section are all 
virtually deciduous and a majority will stand more 
exposure to sun and drier conditions than will their 
evergreen relatives, but drought has very evil effects 
upon these also. It is advisable to place these 
Azaleas fairly close together and, as a ground cover, 
to plant different varieties of Heather {Calluna vul- 
garis) and hardy Heaths {Erica carnea, E. vagans). 



248 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

which are not only pretty in themselves but mask the 
ground from the sun's rays. Another and highly 
important item in the culture of all Rhododendrons 
is to remove all flowers after they have faded to pre- 
vent the development of seed pods and to encourage 
new growths. 

A race of Rhododendrons that will thrive in lime- 
stone soils is at present a desideratum. There are 
several Chinese species which grow naturally on such 
soils, and it is within the bounds of probability that 
the future may see a race at least indifferent to this 
mineral. At present, however, those whose gardens 
are in limestone areas must give up thoughts of grow- 
ing these plants unless they are prepared to make elabo- 
rate preparations and take the risks involved. To 
those desirous of such experiments it may be pointed 
out that mounds of prepared soil should be made and 
not dug-out beds filled with suitable compost since 
the lime has a very much smaller chance of impreg- 
nating a raised site. 

For the purpose of this article hardy Rhododen- 
drons may be divided into two groups known popu- 
larly as Azalea and Rhododendron. In the first the 
leaves are deciduous, or nearly so, and rather small; 
in the second the leaves are persistent and usually 
of good size. These main groups are pretty clearly 



"hardy" rhododendrons 249 

defined in the minds of all garden lovers, but it is 
convenient to subdivide them again: the Azaleas 
into three smaller classes and the Rhododendrons 
into two. 

AZALEA 

The three sections of Azalea may be briefly charac- 
terized as follows : 

a. Rhodora: Flowers from a terminal bud, leafy 
shoots from separate, axillary buds; corolla almost 
two-lobed; stamens seven to ten. 

b. Pentanthera: Corolla funnel-form, stamens 
five, otherwise as in Rhodora. 

c. TsuTsuTsi: Flowers and shoots developed from 
the same terminal bud. 

(a) The first section includes the Rhodora {R. 
canadense) and R. Vaseyi, both good garden plants 
which thrive best in moist soil and in the neigh- 
borhood of water. The Rhodora grows wild from 
Newfoundland to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 
and in the North in May covers large areas of swampy 
land with a sheet of bloom. This dwarf shrub, with 
its small rose-purple flowers, is so well-known that 
further details are unnecessary. Early in May R. 
Vaseyi opens its compact clusters of small pink flow- 
ers before its leaves appear. This Azalea is an 



250 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

inhabitant of a few of the high valleys of the Blue 
Ridge Mountains in South Carolina and had been 
entirely overlooked until some thirty years ago. It 
is a shrub with slender stems, and of loose, irregular 
habit, sometimes growing to the height of from fifteen 
to eighteen feet, although under cultivation it begins 
to blossom when less than a foot high. It is perfectly 
hardy and the pure, perfect pink of its flowers is 
scarcely equalled by that of the flowers of any other 
plant. There is also a form {album) of this species 
with white flowers. 

(b) Eastern North America is very poor in species 
of evergreen Rhododendrons but it can claim to be 
the richest region in the world for the section Pentan- 
thera. Of the thirteen species belonging to this group 
eight are native of the Atlantic seaboard, and one 
{R. occidentale) of the western slopes of the Cascade 
and Sierra Nevada mountains of the West, and an- 
other (JR. sonomense), with smaller rose-colored fra- 
grant flowers, grows on dry slopes of the mountains 
near San Francisco, but is not in cultivation. Of the 
other three, one {R. japonicum) is confined to Japan 
and Korea, another {R. sinense) to eastern and cen- 
tral China, and the third (R. luteum) to the Caucasus 
— the region in Asia Minor bordering the Black Sea 
and known in ancient times as Pontus — and to Galicia 



** hardy" rhododendrons 251 

where only recently it has been discovered. Of the 
American species of this group five are well estab- 
lished in the Arnold Arboretum and no group of 
plants perfectly suited to our climate surpasses 
them in beauty. The first to open their flowers are 
R. canescens and R. nudiflorum. Both have fragrant 
pale rose or pink flowers of various shades which 
appear before the leaves or just as they begin to 
unfold. In general appearance these two plants 
are very similar but one is a southern and the other a 
northern plant though there are places where they 
grow together. The plants are twiggy, of medium 
size, and grow singly or in great masses on treeless hill- 
sides or in open woods. Rhododendron canescens is 
very abundant in parts of Worcester County, Mass., 
and R. nudiflorum is especially common in the Gulf 
States from eastern Florida to eastern Texas. 

The next to blossom is R. calendulaceum, the Yellow 
Azalea of the Appalachian Mountain slopes which 
opens its flowers early in June. The color varies 
from bright yellow to orange or shades of red and 
the beauty is heightened by contrast with the dark 
green leaves which are well grown before the flowers 
open. It is a rather slow-growing but long-lived 
plant, from eight to ten feet tall, and the beauty of 
its brilliant-colored flowers is not surpassed by those 



252 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

of any other Azalea. The Yellow Azalea is followed 
by R. arborescenSy another inhabitant of the glades of 
the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to 
Georgia, which blooms about mid-June. This is a 
tall shrub, growing from ten to fifteen feet high, with 
large, pure white, very fragrant flowers, the beauty 
of which is increased by the bright scarlet color of 
the long exserted stamen-filaments and styles. The 
leaves are pale colored and are full grown before the 
flowers open. The last to flower is R. viscosuniy the 
Clammy Azalea or Swamp Honeysuckle, a common 
inhabitant of swamps near the Atlantic seaboard, 
which does not open its flowers until July. It is a 
shrub of medium size with small, very fragrant, pure 
white blossoms covered with sticky hairs and the 
leaves are often pale bluish, especially on the lower 
surface. The plant is valuable for the lateness of 
its flowers, which continue to open for weeks when 
those of most shrubs are past. 

These five Azaleas are all good garden plants which 
take kindly to cultivation and thrive in ordinary soil in 
either open or shady situations. 

Of the other American species of this section, seed- 
lings oiR. austrinum, R. candidum, 2indR.flammeum are 
growing in the Arnold Arboretum, but it is too early to 
judge of their merits as garden plants. The first has 



"hardy" rhododendrons 253 

pale yellow flowers appearing before the leaves and is 
native of the valley of the Apalachicola River in 
western Florida; the second has white or pale pink 
flowers which appear after the leaves and is native 
of southern Georgia; the third species {R. flammeum) 
is common in open woods in parts of central Georgia. 
The Western R. occidentale with its lovely white flowers 
has not yet been successfully acclimatized in the Arnold 
Arboretum. 

The Chinese R. sinense has large, rich yellow flow- 
ers and is almost hardy with us; the other east Asiatic 
species {R. japonicum) is perfectly hardy and its 
large flame-colored flowers are very handsome. These 
species grow from four to six feet high and have stiff 
and relatively thick ascending branches. The re- 
maining species (R. luteum, or incorrectly JR. jlavum), 
commonly known as Azalea pontica, is not hardy in 
the Arnold Arboretum. It has been much used in 
hybridizing as we shall presently see, but it is doubt- 
ful if the true species is in cultivation in this country. 

As shown above there is a great range of color in the 
American Azaleas and being perfectly hardy one 
would naturally expect to find them very generally 
planted in the gardens of eastern North America. 
Such, however, is not the case for the simple reason 
that it is difficult to procure them, for very few Amer- 



254 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

ican nurserymen are willing to devote the time and 
trouble necessary to raise these plants from seeds, the 
only successful way in which they can be propagated. 
In the absence of these plants and in ignorance 
of their value and beauty, resource is made to the so- 
called Ghent Azaleas — a race of enchanting hybrids, 
but short lived, indifferently hardy, and not suited 
to the climate of New England. As pot plants for 
forcing purposes it is all very well to import them 
from Europe by the shipload, but for the embellish- 
ment of the outdoor garden in the colder parts of this 
country they cannot be recommended. Much may 
be learnt from history in the matter of plants as in 
that of mankind, and the outlines of the origin of 
these so-called Ghent Azaleas are instructive. In 1738, 
Peter CoUinson introduced from this country into 
England, R. nudiflorum, R. viscosum, and R. calendu- 
laceum; in 1793, R. luteum was introduced from the 
region bordering the Black Sea. This Pontus Azalea 
has fragrant, bright yellow flowers each two inches 
across and its value as a garden plant was soon recog- 
nized. In a few years a great number of hybrids 
between it and its American relatives were raised in 
England. The work was soon taken up in Ghent, 
first by a baker named Mortier and afterward by 
various nurserymen of whom Van Houtte was the 



HARDY RHODODENDRONS 255 

first to raise forms having double flowers. But 
R. luteum came from a warm climate and its influence 
on hybrid offspring has been toward a dislike of low 
temperatures. In a measure this explains the lack 
of success experienced by garden lovers of New Eng- 
land with these Ghent Azaleas. It is probable that 
if seeds of R. luteum were obtained from its altitu- 
dinal limits in the Caucasus or from Galicia a hardier 
type would result. 

Another class of Rhododendrons much cultivated 
in Belgium is that known as Mollis Azaleas. This 
has resulted from the intercrossing of R. sinense and 
R, japonicum with various Ghent Azaleas. The class 
is a very beautiful one but is not more hardy in New 
England than the pure Ghents. 

(c) Under the name Tsutsutsi the Japanese in- 
clude most of the Azaleas known in Japan, and 
of the three species of this section which it is nec- 
essary to mention here two grow naturally in the 
Land of the Rising Sun and the other in Korea. 
The most important is the scarlet-flowered R. Kaemp- 
feri which was introduced by Professor Sargent 
in 1892, and is one of the most valuable shrubs that 
gardens of eastern North America have received from 
Japan. It is a deciduous and perfectly hardy shrub 
with slender stems and twiggy branchlets and grows 



256 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

from three to eight feet high. The blossoms open 
about mid-May and the plants are a perfect blaze of 
color for one to two weeks. Where fully exposed to 
the sun the flowers bleach, and to enjoy the full 
beauty of this shrub it should be planted in partial 
shade. It is good as a specimen bush but it is better 
when massed. The other Japanese species, R. rhom- 
bicuniy is a shrub growing from four to ten feet high 
with slender rigid stems and rich red-purple flowers in 
small clusters. It is perfectly hardy and thrives in 
the open or in partial shade. 

The Korean species {R. poukhanense) is a new in- 
troduction and was raised in the Arnold Arboretum 
from seeds sent by Mr. J. G. Jack from Korea in 1905. 
In cultivation it is a low, much-branched, very com- 
pact round-headed shrub and perfectly hardy. The 
dark green, oblong, pointed leaves are deciduous and 
the flowers are rosy mauve or red-violet in color and 
delightfully fragrant. This new Azalea flowers very 
freely and promises to be an excellent plant for the 
open border or for the rockery. A double-flowered 
form is in cultivation under the name of Azalea 
yodogawa, but this plant is very inferior to the type 
species. 

There are other well-known and beautiful Azaleas 
like R, amoenum, R. obtusum, and R. ledifolium — unfor- 



"hardy" rhododendrons 257 

tunately not quite hardy in New England — and rarer 
species like R. Schlippenbachii and R. Albrechtii, but we 
must hasten to deal with our second main division. 

RHODODENDRON 

Hardy evergreen Rhododendrons may be divided 
into two groups characterized by the nature of the 
undersurface of the leaves. In one the underside of 
the leaf is more or less densely dotted with small, 
often brownish, scale-like glands; in the other it is 
either smooth and green, or more or less hairy (often 
densely felted) or clothed with a pale or dun-colored 
crustaceous covering. 

(a) The group with dotted leaves is a very extensive 
one and a great number of species grow on the moun- 
tains of western China and on the Himalayas and three 
{R, carolinianum, R. minus, and R. lapponicum) are 
native of eastern North America. All have small or 
comparatively small leaves but only a very limited 
number have proved to be hardy and amenable to 
cultivation in this country. Many of them may be 
rooted from cuttings, but it has been found difficult to 
hybridize them with members of other groups. As a 
garden plant for this country, R. carolinianum is by 
far the best species of this group and is one of the 
very finest of all broad-leaved Evergreens hardy in 



258 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Massachusetts. It is a shrub of compact habit from 
four to six feet tall and as much in diameter, with 
handsome dark green leaves and is very floriferous. 
The flowers are pale to deep pink and are borne in 
clusters and open and fade before the young branches 
begin to grow and therefore are not hidden by them. 
The species is native of high altitudes in the southern 
Appalachian region and was formerly confused with 
R. minuSy which grows in the same region but at a 
lower level, under the collective name of R. pundatum. 
Rhododendron minus is an old denizen of gardens and has 
smaller leaves and flowers and a more open habit than 
R. carolinianum and the flower clusters are much 
hidden by the young branches which rise high above 
them. The third native species {R. lapponicum) is 
an alpine plant which also grows wild in Europe and 
has proved a diflficult subject under cultivation. 

The two dwarf Rhododendrons {R. ferrugineum 
and R. hirsutum), natives of the mountains of central 
Europe, are unsatisfactory in New England but three 
hybrids between them and the American R. minus and 
R. carolinianum are valuable garden plants in this 
climate. One of these hybrids (R. myrtifolium) is be- 
tween R. hirsutum and R. carolinianum and is a very 
compact round-topped shrub, from two to four feet 
in height and as much through, with neat foliage and 



"hardy" rhododendrons 259 

small, pretty pink flowers. Another {R. laetevirens), 
known in gardens as R. Wilsonii, is a cross between R. 
ferrugineum and R. minus and is a shrub of open, 
spreading habit and forms low, wide masses. The 
foliage is hght green and handsome but the flowers are 
smafl and of an unattractive rose color and the value of 
the plant is in its ability to cover either sunny or shady 
banks and for this it is admirably adapted. The 
third hybrid is R. arbutifolium and is probably also 
a cross between R. ferrugineum and R. minus. It is 
not so good a garden plant as R. laetevirens. 

From the cold regions of Mandshuria and Korea 
came R. dahuricum and R. mucronulatum, which 
though they belong to dotted-leaved group have 
deciduous leaves. These grow from four to eight 
feet high and are sparsely branched. In the 
first named the flowers are deep rose-purple and 
pink, and rose-colored in R, mucronulatum. They 
are the earliest of this class to open their flowers 
and in consequence these are often spoilt by late 
frosts in the spring. Other early-flowering Rhodo- 
dendrons are R. praecox and its variety Early Gem, 
which are the result of crossing the Himalayan R. 
ciliatum and R. dahuricum. Both are evergreen 
bushes, much branched and compact in habit and 
have pale to deep pink flowers. In favorable seasons 



260 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

when the flowers escape late frosts these plants are 
very beautiful in spring, but unfortunately this rarelj?^ 
happens. 

Valuable for the rockery and partial to sunshine 
are R. racemosum, R. flavidum, and R. intricatum, three 
new-comers from China. They are twiggy plants 
growing from four to six feet high and may be rooted 
from cuttings. The first named was introduced into 
Paris about 1890, and has pure pink to rose-colored 
flowers. The other two were introduced into England 
by myself in 1904, and one, as its name suggests, has 
pale yellow blossoms while those of i?. intricatum are 
pale violet. These species are very floriferous alpine 
plants with small leaves and flowers and of neat and 
charming habit. 

The only other species of this group that need be 
mentioned is R. micranthum, also from China, which 
has clusters of minute Ledum-like white flowers 
and small leaves. It is a hardy plant of twiggy 
growth well suited for massing and grows from four 
to six feet tall. 

(b) We now come to the last group, the most valu- 
able and desirable of all, and the one with which most 
people associate the name Rhododendron. As met 
with in gardens and in nurseries this group is mainly 
of hybrid origin and I may preface what follows by an 



"hardy" rhododendrons 261 

enumeration of the best varieties which the experi- 
ence of the Arnold Arboretum has found most adapt- 
able to this climate. With red flowers — Atrosanguin- 
eum (very early), Charles Dickens, H. W. Sargent 
(late); with reddish flowers — Caractacus; with rose- 
colored flowers — Roseum elegans. Lady Armstrong; 
with pink flowers — Mrs. Charles Sargent, Henrietta 
Sargent; with dark purple flowers — Purpureum grandi- 
florum, Purpureum elegans; with light purple flowers 
— Everestianum; with white or nearly white flowers. 
Album elegans, Album grandiflorum, Catawbiense 
album (very early). A few more are mentioned 
later on in the text and one or two others, for exam- 
ple, the white-flowered Madame Carvalho, are prom- 
ising. 

It will be seen that the number is very small, and 
also it must be pointed out that in the Arnold Ar- 
boretum these plants occupy a very favorable posi- 
tion at the base of a steep slope clothed with Hemlock 
and therefore much protected. Had this chapter 
been written two or three years ago one might have 
included other varieties such as Mrs. H. H. Hunne- 
well. King of the Purples, and Delicatissimum, but 
longer experience has proved them less hardy than 
was generally supposed. 

The mild winter of 1914-15 will long be remembered 



262 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

by all lovers of evergreen Rhododendrons who endea- 
vor to grow these plants out of doors in New England. 
The effects in general were disastrous though fortu- 
nately there were exceptions. In some gardens these 
Rhododendrons came through exceptionally well, 
in others the mortality was greater than ever before. 
In the Arnold Arboretum varieties for twenty years 
considered "ironclad" were killed outright. No gen- 
eral statement can possibly explain these inconsis- 
tencies, but the fact outstanding is that for New Eng- 
land a tougher and more adaptable race of evergreen 
Rhododendrons is absolutely necessary if they are 
to occupy in gardens the permanent place their 
beauty merits. Continuing to import plants bred 
and nurtured in alien lands where milder climates 
prevail will not solve the difTiculty. Neither will dig- 
ging plants from the mountains of Pennsylvania, 
shipping them in carload lots to furnish the estate 
and coaxing them in every possible way. This de- 
spoiling of the countryside is most reprehensible. 
It is vandalism; it is destructive and absolutely op- 
posed to the true spirit of gardening which essays to 
be constructive. None of the easy and apparent 
short cuts will attain the object. The problem has 
to be studied from a very opposite viewpoint and 
attacked accordingly. True horticulturists should 



"hardy" rhododendrons 263 

welcome it since it affords much scope and opportun- 
ity to prove their worth. 

OUR VITAL NEED 

Let us dig casually into the subject and look the 
facts squarely in the face, and having realized our 
situation perhaps some one will seize the vast oppor- 
tunity that awaits. What American gardens need 
is a race of evergreen Rhododendrons with good foli- 
age, and large and bright-colored flowers, that is 
perfectly hardy. It is admitted that the few kinds 
enumerated earlier have endured the summer drought, 
the winter cold, and the March sun of New England 
more or less satisfactorily for a number of years but 
they are still uncertain and owners breathe freely 
each May when they find their plants alive and 
healthy. In Massachusetts large sums of money have 
been spent on these plants but the results on the whole 
are discouraging and some who have given much in 
time, labor, and money in the attempt to make this 
class of Rhododendrons grow successfully are losing 
or have lost hope. Such are the facts of the present- 
day situation in New England and it is pertinent to 
ask: Is there a remedy or a way out of the difficulty? 

I make bold to say that there is, but it entails 
beginning again. It means commencing here in New 



264 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

England and elsewhere in this country, and breeding 
a race suited to the climatic conditions which obtain; 
it means abandoning the old and lazy policy of rely- 
ing upon other lands to supply our needs in this re- 
spect; it means that we must do here what Europe 
has done, namely, work out our own salvation. We 
start later than they across the Atlantic but we start 
with great advantages including those which have 
accrued from the labors of the past. A little of that 
concentrated effort and skill which have produced that 
most typical of American floral products — the Per- 
petual-flowering Carnation — ^would yield us our de- 
sire in the matter of a race of hardy broad-leaved 
evergreen Rhododendrons. 

The present-day race of evergreen Rhododendrons 
is essentially an English product and to better under- 
stand the subject let us briefly investigate its early 
histor>^ No Rhododendron is native of the British 
Isles and the first of the evergreen section to be intro- 
duced was R. maximum, indigenous in eastern North 
America, which flowered for the first time in London 
in 1756. A few years later (1763) R. ponticum was 
introduced and was followed in 1803 by R. caucasi- 
cum. The American R. catawbiense was introduced 
by John Eraser about 1809, and was common in gar- 
dens in 1838. Here are the beginnings of the Rhode- 



"hardy" rhododendrons 265 

dendron cult in England. Of these four species two 
only {R. poniicum and R. catawbiense) have played a 
major part. 

As a breeder R. ponticum has been the greatest 
asset and although its color is not good it has proved 
extraordinarily adaptable in Great Britain and Ire- 
land. This species grows wild in southern Spain 
and in Asia Minor, in Syria, and the warmer parts 
of the Caucasus. These regions enjoy a much 
warmer climate than does New England and from 
our viewpoint it is a tender species and unsuit- 
able as a breeder. Also, for the same reason, it ought 
not to be used as a stock for grafting, yet, unfortu- 
nately, it is the stock so employed. An appreciation 
of these facts explains in a large measure the doubtful 
hardiness and uncertainty of the present-day race 
of Rhododendrons since the blood of this tender spe- 
cies enters largely into the majority of the varieties. 

In the matter of hardiness the American R. cataw- 
biense has been the greatest of all gifts in the realm 
of Rhododendron, and the hardiness of our present- 
day race depends almost solely upon the dominant 
influence of the blood of this species. 

Rhododendron caucasicum is native of the higher 
Caucasus peaks and should be of much value to us 
since it is quite hardy in New England. Unfortu- 



266 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

nately it has been very little used by hybridists but 
such offspring as Boule de Niege, Coriaceum, Jack- 
sonii, and Mont Blanc are very satisfactory plants in 
the Arnold Arboretum. 

Our native R. maximum^ though the first species 
introduced into cultivation, has played a very unim- 
portant part in the evolution of present-day Rhodo- 
dendrons. In a manner it has been disappointing, 
yet it is questionable whether it has had a fair chance. 
To us its hardiness and late flowering are qualities 
of vast import. 

The first authentic hybrid is considered to have 
arisen accidentally about 1820, between R. ponticum 
and R. nudijlorum (an American species of the Azalea 
section), and is still in cultivation under the names of 
R. odoratum and R. azaleoides. About the same time 
R. catawbiense was crossed with R. ponticum but the 
results were unimportant. Other early hybrids were 
Hybrid Maximum {R. ponticum x R. maximum) and 
Caucasicum album {R. ponticum album x R. cau- 
casicum). 

The earliest-introduced species were lacking in 
color and their hybrid offspring had the same defect. 
In 1811, the Himalayan R. arboreum with intense red 
flowers was introduced into England and this marked 
an epoch in the cult of the Rhododendron. The first 



"hardy" rhododendrons 267 

really important hybrid resulted from crossing R. ar- 
boreum and R. caiawbiense in 1826, and was named 
R. altaclarense, and the present-day race may be said 
to date from that period. But this magnificent 
Himalayan species is less hardy than R. ponticum and 
is quite unsuited to the climate of New England. 
Furthermore, it flowers very early, which is another 
drawback. 

Until about 1850, these were the only species of 
this section of Rhododendron in cultivation and such 
hybrids as were raised resulted from their interbreed- 
ing and that of their offspring. In 1848, R. Griffithi- 
anum was introduced to England from the Sikkim 
Himalayas, and in 1855, R. Fortunei from eastern 
China. These two species have given birth to many 
wonderful hybrids, but, alas, all of them too tender 
for this climate. Other Himalayan species have 
played a part in the evolution of the wonderful 
variety of Rhododendrons eminently suited to the 
moist and mild climate of the British Isles, but their 
influence has not made for a race of value to eastern 
North America. 

In a general way it may be said that Rhododendron 
breeders in England until late in the nineteenth 
century kept away from the species as much as possi- 
ble and intermingled the blood of the best of the 



268 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

hybrids. Some, like the famous house of Waterer, 
never lost sight of the invaluable quality of hardiness 
possessed by R. catawbiense and it is these men that 
we must thank for such blessings as we possess among 
the present-day race. Latterly the species have been 
more favored for breeding in England; and in Corn- 
wall, since the advent of a host of new ones from China, 
Rhododendrons may be seen in bloom in every month 
of the year. 

Such are the bald outlines of the Rhododendron 
cult in England, and for our purpose there is no 
necessity to go more deeply into the matter. It lays 
before us the origin of the present-day race and points 
clearly to the cause of its lack of hardiness in the 
severe climate of New England. 

Let us now take stock of the field in general. 
The regions where Rhododendrons hardy in Great 
Britain grow naturally have been fairly well explored. 
Not all the species have been brought into culti- 
vation, but to-day we are in a position to take a com- 
prehensive view of the whole situation; and, insofar 
as the colder parts of this country are concerned, 
certain fundamental facts may be deduced. And it is 
on these bedrock facts that we must rely and build if 
we are to obtain the object desired. 

Rhododendrons are found wild in the moist tern- 



"hardy" rhododendrons 269 

perate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and a certain 
group extends through the tropics of Malaysia to 
northern Australia, but for the purpose of this article 
this group may be eliminated for reasons which are 
obvious. Evergreen Rhododendrons are essentially 
mountain plants where a majority grow naturally 
in woods and not a few are purely alpine. No species 
has been found in Africa nor in South America. 
Of the large-leaved section only four species (i?. 
ponticum, R. caucasicum, R, Smirnowii, and R, 
Ungernii) are found in Europe and Asia Minor 
including the Caucasus. In North America only 
three species (R. maximum, R. cafawbiense, and R, 
californicum) occur. Japan has but three (R. Metier- 
nichii, R. brachycarpum, and R. chrysanthum). The 
great concentration is in western China and the 
Himalayas where more than one hundred species have 
been discovered. It had been expected that the 
floral wealth of central and western China would 
add a few species to the list of large-leaved 
Rhododendrons hardy in New England even though 
the Himalayan region had failed us, but, unfortu- 
nately, these hopes have not been realized. Admit- 
ting that this is disappointing nothing is gained by 
dwelling upon it despondently and some of these 
Chinese species will yet stand us in good stead. 



270 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

Of the introduced species of Rhododendron with 
large evergreen leaves five only are hardy in the 
Arnold Arboretum. These are the native R. maxi- 
mum and R. catawbiense, R, Smirnowii and R. cau- 
casicum from the Caucasus, and R. brachycarpum from 
northern Japan and northern Korea. One other 
species {R. chrysanthum) with pale yellow flowers 
ought to be hardy here for it grows in the cold regions 
of northeastern Asia and on the tops of high moun- 
tains in Hokkaido, Japan, where I have gathered 
it in flower on the last days of July with unmelted 
snow in patches lying around. It is, however, an 
alpine plant and though introduced to cultivation 
about 1800, and again about 1850, has never been a 
successful garden plant. This being the case it is 
on the above-named five species that all our hopes 
are centred and it is in the commingling of their 
blood that we must look for the foundations of a 
race of large-leaved evergreen Rhododendrons capa- 
ble of withstanding the rigors and vagaries of this 
climate. And we are really fortunate to possess 
five species which, as we have seen, is more than was 
known when the work began in England. 

Theoretically, if the parents are hardy the off- 
spring will be equally so, but in plant-breeding this 
does not always work out in practice. For example. 



"hardy" rhododendrons 271 

there are hybrid offspring of R. maximum and R, 
catawbiense such as R. wellesleyanam, which has 
proved anything but hardy. Again, in the Arnold 
Arboretum many plants of Delicatissimum, a hybrid 
between these two American species and for the last 
thirty years considered one of the hardiest and most 
desirable of the Rhododendrons which have been 
planted in New England, died from the effects of 
the winter of 1914-15. Thus caution is necessary; 
but, in cross-breeding among the five species of proven 
hardiness, there is every possibility of evolving a very 
tough hybrid race. But to ensure success it should 
be done in this country as far north as possible, so 
that the progeny may become inured to the climate 
from their babyhood up. 

Except in time and place such work as is advocated 
here is not altogether de novo. I do not know whether R, 
brachycarpum has been experimented with; but the 
others have, and with encouraging results, especially 
R. Smirnowiiy a hybrid of which is giving much satis- 
faction in the Arnold Arboretum. The Lace-wing 
Fly is a bad pest on Rhododendrons in which the 
undersurface of the leaf is smooth and green, but it 
cannot attack R. Smirnowii the undersurface of 
whose leaves is clothed with a felt of woolly hairs. 
This species promises, therefore, to be of value in 



272 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

other ways than mere hardiness. In Germany, where 
the climate is more severe than in Great Britain, 
a certain amount of Rhododendron breeding has in 
recent years been done and two hybrids — ^Viola, 
with white flowers, and Albert, with pale pink flowers 
— promise to succeed with us. But it will not solve 
our problem if such hybrids are raised and nurtured 
in lands where a milder climate obtains. Furnish 
the garden with material grown in a region as cold as 
or colder than that where the garden is situated should 
be a fundamental rule among garden lovers. If some 
of us spend a few years in Florida and then winter 
in Massachusetts we shall feel the cold more than 
will those who have never left the state and very 
much more so than others inured to the climate of 
Labrador. It is the same with plants. 

The results obtained by the inter-crossing of the 
five hardy species will in all probability be lacking 
in color, and pale washy pink and pink colors predom- 
inate, for since none of the parents has highly colored 
flowers we must not expect them in the progeny. In the 
historical note it is shown that on this account 
Rhododendron breeding in England languished for 
years — until the advent of species from the Hima- 
layas with deep rose, scarlet, and crimson flowers. 
The intense colors in the hybrid Rhododendrons 



"hardy'* rhododendrons 273 

of to-day came from this Himalayan element and 
especially from R. arboreum. Again, our position 
here is more fortunate than that of English pioneers 
since the fruit of their labor is at our disposal. To 
give color to our new race we can employ the red- 
flowered Atrosanguineum, Charles Dickens, and H. 
W. Sargent which are among the hardiest of all 
hybrids. 

Furthermore, the great wealth of material from 
western China is likely to be of much service, for 
though it cannot withstand New England winters it 
is much hardier than the Himalayan element and 
there are species like R. calophytum, R. oreodoxa, R. 
Fargesiiy R. orbiculare, and R. strigillosum with flowers 
of rich and beautiful colors. These and very many 
others are thriving and flowering in England where 
hybrids between them are being raised, and by the 
time our hardy home-bred race is ready, ample new 
material to assist its development will be available. 

Gardens are destined to become in this country- 
just as popular and as necessary a part of the home 
as they are on the other side of the Atlantic and who- 
soever works for their advancement and embellish- 
ment will not labor in vain. On the lines here briefly 
sketched there is every reasonable possibility of 
breeding a race of broad-leaved evergreen Rhododen- 



274 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

drons capable of withstanding the vagaries of the 
New England climate and in no respect inferior to 
the present race of hybrids whose only fault here is 
its uncertain hardiness. I have no doubt but that 
sooner or later some one, amateur or professional, 
will take up the task and succeed and the monument 
erected will be more enduring than any of bronze or 
stone for it will have its foundation in the hearts of 
all who love their country and their home. 




Davidia involucrata, appropriately called the Dove Tree, is 

indeed remarkable. The larger bract is about as large as a 

man's hand, becoming pure white as the flowers mature. In 

China the tree grows to a height of fifty feet 



CHAPTER XV 
THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 

How many garden lovers ever pause to think of the means whereby 
their gardens became endowed with multifarious variety from distant 
lands and climes; of the time and money expended in the quest, and 
of the toll paid in human energy and life? Could the denizens of our 
gardens give speech their story would be more engrossing and more 
romantic than that told or conceived by authors of the "best sellers'* 
All who love a tree give heed for a little while and learn how gardens 
came into possession of one of the most beautiful and most remark- 
able of all trees. 

THE object of the journey is to collect a 
quantity of seeds of a plant the name of 
which is known to us. This is the object 
— do not dissipate time, energy, or money on any- 
thing else. In furtherance of this you will first 
endeavor to visit Dr. A. Henry at Szemao, Yunnan, 
and obtain from him precise data as to the habitat of 
this particular plant and information on the flora 
of central China in general." 

So read my instructions from Messrs. Veitch. A 
three years' agreement was signed on March 27, 
1899, and on April 11th I sailed from Liverpool on 
the Cunard ship Pavonia en route for China via 

275 



276 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

the United States of America. Twelve days after- 
ward I landed in Boston, Mass., and on the after- 
noon of the same day made my first acquaintance 
with the Arnold Arboretum. My stay in Boston was 
limited to five days and nearly the whole time was 
devoted to looking over the Arnold Arboretum collec- 
tions and I departed enriched in knowledge and with 
much sound advice on matters relating to the col- 
lecting and packing of seeds and plants from Pro- 
fessor Sargent and from the late Mr. Jackson Daw- 
son. 

My trip across the continent was delightful; every- 
thing was new, strange, and interesting, and the 
hours of daylight were not long enough to drink my 
fill from the Pullman windows. When crossing Texas 
a talkative brakesman told me hair-raising stories of 
the exploits of the notorious James brothers and so 
impressive was his language that a thrill goes through 
me now as I recall it. On May 6th I sailed from San 
Francisco and on June 3d safely reached Hongkong 
where I had letters to friends. 

The holiday part of my journey was now over. 
My immediate destination was the Chinese city of 
Szemao, situated in the southwest corner of Yunnan 
near the frontier of northern Burmah and my route 
lay through French Tonking to the Chinese border 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 277 

and then across the large province of Yunnan. Hong- 
kong was suffering from its usual visitation of bubonic 
plague and no Chinese from that colony was allowed 
to enter Tonking so I was denied the services of an 
English-speaking Chinese servant which was a great 
loss. Thanks to the help of my friends, whose ef- 
forts to assist in every possible way were unbounded, 
my arrangements — which included a passport (neces- 
sitating a trip to Canton), a supply of provisions, and 
a traveling outfit — were completed with celerity. I 
left Hongkong in a steamer on the afternoon of 
June 14th for the port of Haiphong where I arrived 
on the 19th idem, and, leaving the same evening, 
reached Hanoi, the capital of Tonking the following 
morning. I could speak no French and in conse- 
quence had difficulty on landing, but ultimately I 
reached a hotel and stumbled on a Frenchman who 
spoke a little English. 

For some years past, a railway, built by the 
French, has connected Hanoi with Yunnan Fu the 
capital of the province of that name, but in 1899 
the survey only was in progress and travelers 
had to ascend the Red River in small steamers to 
the frontier town of Laokai, thence by native 
boats to Manhao and from there journey overland 
by mules or sedan chairs. The Chinese were strongly 



278 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

opposed to the idea of a railway in Yunnan and ugly 
rumors of impending trouble were abroad. 

At Hanoi I had to wait four days for a steamer and 
leaving at ten a. m. on June 24th I found on board a 
young Frenchman newly appointed to the Chinese 
Imperial Maritime Customs and bound for Mengtsze 
to take up his post. This gentleman spoke English 
and we made an arrangement to travel in company. 
At Yenbay, which was reached on the evening of the 
25th idem, we had to transfer to a smaller steamer 
of lesser draught and here a report reached us that 
an attack on foreigners had occurred at Menstsze 
and that the Custom House and French Consulate 
had been destroyed by fire. My newly-found com- 
panion became very pessimistic and vowed that we 
should never reach our destination. 

On the afternoon of the 29th idem Laokai was 
reached and the news of the Mengtsze outrage con- 
firmed in detail. Across a small tributary stream 
from Laokai is the Chinese town of Hokou where a 
station of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs 
is maintained. The officer in charge gave us what 
information he had and read a telegram from the 
Commissioner of Customs at Mengtsze warning in- 
tending travelers that the road was unsafe. 

At Laokai a small hotel, styled "Hotel du Com- 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 279 

merce," was nearly finished building and I had the 
honor of being its first guest. The proprietor, 
Monsieur Fleury, was French but his wife was of 
English birth, and if ever these lines should reach 
them, may they assure them that even in these after 
years I am not unmindful of the courtesy and kind- 
ness which did so much toward making life tolerable 
during my enforced stay. 

On the 29th idem I received a note from the French 
officer commanding the district warning me against 
proceeding on my journey and in the afternoon 
news arrived of the murder of four men who had left 
a few days before for Mengtsze. The outlook was 
decidedly unpromising but I did not then realize how 
many dreary days of waiting were ahead of me. 

What Laokai is like to-day I do not know but in 
those days it was a very small village. It is situated 
on the left bank of the Red River and separated from 
Chinese territory by a small tributary stream and is 
backed by low jungle and tree-clad hills with swamps 
near by. Across the Red River on the right bank 
was a large military encampment including barracks 
where were quartered a battalion of the Foreign 
Legion and several regiments of Annamese troops 
officered of course by Frenchmen. Laokai is within 
the tropics and although some hundreds of miles 



280 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

from the sea is only a few feet above sea-level and 
being shut in by jungle-clad mountains the climate 
is very unhealthy. During my sojourn there bugles 
announced nearly every morning and evening that 
one or several soldiers were being laid in their last 
resting-place. The tiny steamer which left for down- 
stream every Sunday morning was always laden with 
sick or convalescing soldiers and officers. The heat 
during the greater part of the day was intense and I 
could go walking for a few hours only after sunrise 
and for an hour or so in the evening. It was the rainy 
season and nearly every day rain fell in tropical fury. 
My diary shows that at first although disappointed 
I settled down to make the best of things and amused 
myself investigating the flora of the immediate 
neighborhood of Laokai. As my stay lengthened 
into weeks my hopes of continuing my journey sank 
lower and lower and I went so far as to write to both 
Dr. Henry and my employers advising them that 
I should have to abandon the effort when, quite un- 
expectedly, I managed to move onward. Reviewing 
the affair after a lapse of seventeen years I rather mar- 
vel that I did not abandon the venture. Certain it 
is that my enforced sojourn and inactivity at Laokai 
were the most discouraging, the most trying, and the 
most unpleasant to endure of any experiences during 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 281 

my eleven years' travel in China. The military 
authorities were suspicious of me from the commence- 
ment, and toward the end it reached my ears that I 
was regarded as a spy and a captain in the English 
army, disguised. As a broad hint to quit I received an 
enlistment notice ! Those were the days of the '* Drey- 
fus retrial" and of the "Fashoda incident" and before 
the "Entente cordiale" — days when a native of "per- 
fidious Albion" was the opposite of a welcome guest in 
a French colony where military rule was dominant. 

During the first few days of exile further details of 
the Mengtsze outrage reached Laokai and of course 
rumor enlarged upon the whole situation. A party 
of Frenchmen surveying for the railway came in from 
Yunnan, talked of serious trouble, and departed for 
down river. On the 19th of July the Commandante 
sent a note informing me that the route to Mengtsze 
was then considered safe and this cheered me greatly. 
I began enquiries for a servant since it was impossible 
to travel alone, but the news of the riot had done its 
work and no one could be tempted. This state of 
affairs lasted for a month. On the 18th of August the 
following letter was brought to me : 

"My Dear Sir, 

Before I have wish to do a interpreter with you, 
because I am very sick cannot to going, at now I 



282 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

have a friend he have learned him EngUsh for two 
years at Hongkong, if you wish to get a interpreter 
he can do. 

"Your small servant 

"LiMAY." 



Who Limay was I had not the slightest idea but 
was grateful to him nevertheless. The bearer of the 
note was himself the applicant. He was a Chinese of 
very unprepossessing appearance who smoked opium 
freely and had been discharged from the Telegraph 
service for incompetency, but he spoke a little Eng- 
lish. I engaged him on the spot, for a chance to 
reach Dr. Henry presented itself. Not being 
anxious to do more work than he could help my "in- 
terpreter" rounded up an Annamese who could cook 
and I engaged him, too. On August 23d we left in a 
native boat for Manhao. The river was in flood. 
The journey up the Red River due to its flooded con- 
dition was slow and not without excitement. Three 
days out I was overtaken by Monsieur Marty who 
owned the line of river steamers between Hanoi and 
Laokai and another line plying to Hongkong where 
he resided. Monsieur Marty was anxious for com- 
pany and induced me to travel in his boat. To 
other accomplishments he added those of a good cook 
and I was really most fortunate in joining him more 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 283 

especially as my own boat in crossing a dangerous 
rapid had lost masts and sail and was so nearly swamped 
that I had to transfer everything to my companion's 
boat. On September 1st we arrived at Manhao and 
three days later with no untoward event reached 
Mengtsze. 

The Custom House and the French Consulate 
which adjoined were situated nearly half a mile from 
the city of Mengtsze. The attack had taken place after 
midnight; the Consulate was little damaged but the 
house of the Commissioner of Customs was completely 
gutted by fire and its contents entirely destroyed. 
The Commissioner, an American, Mr. W. F. Spin- 
ney, with his wife and members of his staff, escaped 
in their night clothes and though pursued by a howl- 
ing mob fortunately found, after some difficulty, 
safe lodgment within the city. One or two servants 
were burnt to death. The officials made some effort 
to capture and punish the ringleaders and on my 
arrival at the entrance to the ruined Custom House, 
I saw suspended from the branches of a tree, wooden 
cages containing the heads of five of the rioters. 
Later I met a posse of soldiers bringing in another 
gruesome looking head. 

His own troubles and difficulties notwithstanding, 
Mr. Spinney lent me ready assistance and engaged 



284 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

mules to take me to Szemao, seventeen days' journey 
distant. My caravan of fifteen or sixteen mules and 
several muleteers was imposing and included not 
only my own belongings, but several cases of silver 
for Chinese officials at Szemao and a number of cases 
of stores for the Customs staff. I left on the morning 
of September 8th, and, being unable to speak any 
Chinese, traveled very much as a parcel and enjoyed 
the trip. I received en route a couple of letters 
of welcome from Dr. Henry and, when two days 
from my destination, a note from him informing me 
that a gang of highway robbers had been plying their 
nefarious caUing between the cities of Puerh and Sze- 
mao but that the ringleaders had been captured and 
executed. The officials at Puerh sent ten soldiers 
as a guard and a few miles beyond that city ten sol- 
diers sent from Szemao joined us, and with these 
twenty picturesquely clad but grotesquely armed 
soldiers our caravan looked like a small punitive 
expedition. 

My last night before reaching Szemao was on a 
Saturday and about nine o'clock, after all had retired, 
a barking of dogs and some shouting aroused excite- 
ment and my soldier guard began to prepare for an 
attack when the sound of an English voice sent a thrill 
of joy through me. The door was quickly thrown 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 285 

open and I rushed to greet two men, Messrs. Carey 
and Williams, who with rare forethought of my lone- 
liness had ridden from Szemao to bid me welcome. 

The next day we rode quietly into Szemao and I 
took up quarters in a house engaged for me next 
door to the Custom House. Dr. Henry was away 
botanizing when I arrived but returned early in the 
evening and our meeting was hearty and cordial. 
During the next few days this gentleman laid bare 
for my benefit his vast store of knowledge of the flora 
of China and from his notebooks furnished me with 
exact information as to the locality of the Davidia in 
particular and many other plants in general. 

My stay at Szemao was profitable and as pleasant 
as hospitable friends could possibly make it, but was 
cut short by Dr. Henry receiving orders to repair 
to Mengtsze and relieve Mr. Spinney. I returned 
with him and leaving Szemao on October 16th safely 
reached Mengtsze on the evening of November 2d. 
The country was in a very disturbed state and oppo- 
sition to the French railway most marked. Being in 
blissful ignorance, all murmurings and grumblings left 
me unaffected, but my companion — fully conversant 
with the language — endured some anxiety. 

I left Mengtsze on November 13th well primed 
with valuable information from Dr. Henry and 



286 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

some useful practical knowledge derived from my 
own experiences. Laokai was reached about mid- 
night on the 16th idem, and after a few days' stay I 
departed for Hongkong where I arrived on the after- 
noon of November 26th. 

During my journeys in Yunnan I collected a num- 
ber of interesting plants and among them Jasminum 
primulinum, which has achieved widespread popular- 
ity in Europe and in this country. From Hongkong 
I despatched my collections to England and in due 
time left for Ichang situated on the Yangtsze River 
in the very heart of China. 

Ichang, where I arrived on February 24, 1900, was 
to be my headquarters for two years so I made plans 
accordingly, I purchased a native boat of good size 
in which to live and to serve as a base of supplies, 
and engaged some countrymen to assist me in col- 
lecting. The all-important arrangements completed, 
a series of short prospecting trips up country from 
Ichang were undertaken for the purpose of getting 
some acquaintance with the flora and for testing and 
training my men. By the middle of April everything 
was ready to start in quest of the Davidia. On a half 
page of a notebook Dr. Henry had sketched a 
tract of country about the size of New York State 
and had marked the spot where he had found growing 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 287 

a single tree of the Davidia, the only example he had 
discovered in a trip which extended over six months and 
the only one he had ever seen. The place was among 
high mountains in the sparsely populated region 
bordering the provinces of Hupeh and Szechuan and 
south of the mighty Yangtsze River. This locality 
was my destination and this solitary tree my sole ob- 
jective. 

On the morning of April 15th I left Ichang, in 
my boat, to ascend the Yangtsze as far as the 
district city of Patung where I arrived on the 
21st idem. The journey was exciting, for the rapids 
which are very numerous were at that season difficult 
to negotiate. Twice we ran on rocks and had to 
repair damage. At the worst rapid the boat all but 
capsized and there were other and numerous inci- 
dents which space will not allow me to mention 
in detail. At Patung the head official did his best 
to frighten my men and begged me to abandon the 
enterprise. Finally, his efforts proving of no effect, 
he promised an escort of six soldiers and washed 
his hands, as it were, of the business. The man was 
in earnest and genuinely afraid for my safety. Some 
two years before there had been much trouble in this 
region. Rioting between anti-Christian and Chris- 
tian villagers had taken place; hundreds of lives had 



288 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

been lost and whole villages burnt to the ground, and 
a Roman Catholic priest — Pere Victorin — brutally 
murdered and his corpse barbarously mutilated. A 
feeling of bitterness and hate still rankled and there 
was grave danger of some untoward incident causing 
the smouldering anger to blaze out afresh. Of all 
this I was fully aware, but my mission was to obtain 
Davidia involucrata and in furtherance of this I did 
not think of causing trouble of any kind. 

Having arranged for my boat to journey some 
fifty miles up-stream to Paishih I left Patung on the 
morning of April 22d, and followed a paved steep 
road. On the evening of the 23d idem. I reached the 
Roman Catholic Mission station at Hsi-sha-ho and 
found I was the first foreigner, save Roman Catholic 
priests, to visit the place since Dr. Henry. I found 
here a Belgian priest on a visit to his converts. He 
— courteous and scholarly, like all his class — made 
me welcome. He had been the companion of the 
priest murdered two years before and he gave me a 
full account of the whole tragedy. In his Bible he 
carried a set of photographs of the late Pere's re- 
mains — gruesome, nauseating, and horrible to look 
upon. The affair had taken place some fifteen miles 
from Hsi-sha-ho and my host said he expected trouble 
again this year, as, two weeks before, a party of 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 289 

outlaws had tried to burn down his house but, luckily, 
had failed. 

Leaving the priest to his work, his gloomy fore- 
bodings on the future, and the tragic memories of his 
lamented companion, I took a cross-country road and 
on the afternoon of the 25th reached the hamlet of 
Ma-huang-po and the house where Dr. Henry 
had stayed when he found the Davidia tree on May 
17, 1888. Did the people remember Dr. Henry? 
Did they know the K'ung-tung (local name of Da- 
vidia)? To these and similar questions they pleas- 
antly answered in the afTirmative. Would some one 
guide me to the tree? Certainly! We sallied forth, 
I in the highest of spirits. After walking about two 
miles we came to a house rather new in appearance. 
Near by was the stump of Henry's Davidia. The 
tree had been cut down a year before and the trunk 
and branches formed the beams and posts of the 
house! I did not sleep during the night of April 
25, 1900. 

On the first of May I was back at Ichang with my 
mind made up to collect all the plants I could in west- 
ern Hupeh during the year, and in the late winter 
journey westward a thousand miles, and there hunt 
for the Davidia in the region where it was first dis- 
covered by Pere David in 1869. With this resolution 



290 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

made I let the subject drift from my mind. On 
May 19th when collecting near the hamlet of Ta-wan, 
distant some five days southwest of Ichang, I sud- 
denly happened upon a Davidia tree in full flower! 
It was about fifty feet tall, in outline pyra- 
midal, and with its wealth of blossoms was more 
beautiful than words can portray. When figuring 
Henry's fruiting specimens in Hooker's "Icones Plan- 
tarum" (XX. t. 1961, [1891]) the Keeper of the Kew 
Herbarium wrote : *' Davidia is a tree almost deserving 
a special mission to western China with a view to its 
introduction to European gardens." On beholding 
this extraordinary tree for the first time I no longer 
marvelled at the Keeper's strong language. And 
now with a wider knowledge of floral treasures of the 
Northern Hemisphere I am convinced that Davidia 
involucrata is the most interesting and most beautiful 
of all trees which grow in the north temperate re- 
gions. The distinctive beauty of the Davidia is in 
the two snow-white connate bracts which subtend 
the flower proper. These are always unequal in 
size — the larger usually six inches long by three inches 
broad, and the smaller three and one half inches by 
two and one half inches; they range up to eight inches 
by four inches and five inches by three inches. At 
first greenish, they become pure white as the flowers 



THE STORY OF THE D AVIDIA 291 

mature and change to brown with age. The flowers 
and their attendant bracts are pendulous on fairly 
long stalks, and when stirred by the slightest breeze 
they resemble huge butterflies or small doves hover- 
ing amongst the trees. The bracts are somewhat 
boat-shaped and flimsy in texture, and the leaves hide 
them considerably, but so freely are they borne that 
the tree, from a distance, looks as if flecked with 
snow. The bracts are most conspicuous on dull days 
and in the early morning. 

Later, I found two other trees in the same neigh- 
borhood and, in localities varying from fifty to one 
hundred miles apart, eight others. These eleven 
trees were carefully watched through this anxious 
year of the Boxer trouble; they fruited freely, and in 
November I garnered a rich harvest of seeds which 
were despatched to England where they safely ar- 
rived in due course. In 1901, when on an expedition 
through the northwest of Hupeh, I discovered the 
Davidia in quantity and more than a hundred trees 
became known to me. From these hundred trees I 
did not secure a hundred seeds, and during subse- 
quent visits to China extending over a decade I never 
again saw Davidia fruiting in the manner it did in 
1900. The fruit may be likened to that of a walnut, 
but is more or less eUipsoid, or, more rarely, roundish 



292 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

in shape and about one and one fourth to one and 
three fourths inches long. The color is greenish 
russet and slightly reddish on one side and the flesh 
is very thin and gritty. The "nut" consists of a 
number of seeds arranged around an axis and em- 
bedded in woody tissue as hard as flint and absolutely 
unbreakable. 

On their arrival in England in the early spring of 
1901 the "nuts" were sown in various ways — some in 
strong heat, some in boxes and pots and placed in 
various temperatures, others (and the larger quantity) 
out of doors in a prepared seed-bed. Some were 
soaked in hot water, some in cold, others were filed 
down — in short, everything that a skilled and re- 
sourceful propagator could think of was put in opera- 
tion. Weeks passed, months passed, and nothing 
happened. When I reached England at the end of 
April, 1902, not one seed had germinated and grave 
fears were expressed — failure almost anticipated. 
I made it my first business to examine the seeds. 
Those indoors under various conditions, save for 
being blackened, exhibited no apparent change and 
no signs of germination. Those in the seed-bed out 
of doors had been subjected to the winter's frost, and 
on digging out, a few signs of change were apparent. 
Some of the "nuts" exhibited slight longitudinal 



THE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 293 

cracks from the summit to about two thirds down; 
in others a narrow valve-like shutter was forced back 
slightly and the tip of a root showed clearly. All 
was well. In a month or so thousands had sprouted, 
and from this bed an assistant and I potted up 
more than thirteen thousand plants, of which nearly 
every one grew. Of the seeds sown indoors scarcely a 
single one ever germinated. 

I brought home with me, in 1902, three or four living 
plants and these were planted in various positions 
in the Coombe Wood nursery and in the summer grew 
amazingly. So, too, did the seedlings, and Davidia 
immediately made itself at home in England. The 
first to flower in England was a seedling plant in the 
Coombe Wood nursery in May, 1911, and a cut 
branch was exhibited by Messrs. Veitch at the famous 
Temple Show on May 23d, and received a First 
Class Certificate — the Royal Horticultural Society's 
highest award. Since that date many have flowered 
in various places and fruit was produced in 1915. 
In Kew Gardens there are now trees nineteen feet 
tall and thirteen inches in girth of stem. 

This Hupeh plant proved to be a smooth-leaved 
variety of the type and in the autumn of 1903, 1 had 
the pleasure of securing in Mupin, Pere David's orig- 
inal locality, a few hundreds of fruits of the type 



294 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

and from these more than a thousand plants were 
raised. 

After my successful introduction of the Davidia in 
1901, and its free germination in 1902, I had yet one 
little cup of bitterness to drain. Monsieur Maurice 
de Vilmorin had received seeds of the Davidia from a 
Roman Catholic Missionary, Pere Farges, in 1897, 
and in 1898 one plant was raised in his arboretum at 
Les Barres, France. From this plant two or three 
cuttings and one layer were rooted. A rooted cutting 
was sent to Kew Gardens, another to the Jardin 
des Plantes in Paris, and the rooted layer to the Ar- 
nold Arboretum, where it is now growing freely. My 
employers were aware of this soon after I had been 
despatched to China in 1899, but I was not, and I 
took my draught when the whole story was published 
by Monsieur Andre in the Revue Horticole, August 
16, 1902, p. 377. Monsieur Vilmorin's plant flow- 
ered for the first time in May, 1906, and proved to be 
the smooth-leaved variety and received the name of 
Davidia involucrafa, var. Vilmoriniana, after an abor- 
tive attempt on the part of a French botanist (Mon- 
sieur L. A. Dode) to make it a distinct species. 

In the late summer of 1906 I had the mortifica- 
tion of learning that several thousands of vigorous 
Davidia plants raised from my 1901 seeds had been 



JHE STORY OF THE DAVIDIA 295 

ruthlessly burnt for no reason other than to gratify 
a whim of an unbalanced mind. Fortunately a 
goodly number were saved through timely action 
and a larger number had previously been sold and 
distributed. These trees in increasing numbers are 
now flowering each successive season. After sixteen 
years I have thought it of interest — and for history's 
sake desirable — to place on record the facts concern- 
ing the vicissitudes and difficulties which beset my 
path in the introduction of every seedling plant hut one 
of this remarkable tree. 



EPILOGUE 

MORE years of my life than I care to remem- 
ber have been spent in searching the re- 
mote parts of eastern Asia for new plants 
of value for the embellishment of western gardens. The 
work has not been devoid of hardship and its spice of 
danger; but if the art of gardening and the science of 
horticulture benefit thereby, the years have been well 
spent. 

On my return in the early spring of 1915, from a 
year's work in the empire of Japan, I was curious 
to discover, if possible, how much genuine interest 
existed in this country in the matter of gardens and 
how widespread the interest might be. After much 
thought I concluded that a measurable test might be 
made by publishing a series of articles, general yet com- 
prehensive in character. The kindergarten element 
had no place in my scheme any more than that exalted 
in the ranks. The question could be properly an- 
swered only by the class that had some knowledge of 
the art, and in whom interest and love were already 
aroused. With this object in mind, but not divulged, 
I approached the Editor of the Garden Magazine, 

296 



EPILOGUE 297 

This gentleman encouraged me most cordially and 
his liberality in the matter of space, his cooperation, 
and the courteous manner in which he met every sug- 
gestion made the task an enjoyable one. 

My question has been answered in a manner that 
cannot be mistaken. Letters have reached me from 
East and West, North and South, and from all the 
states which link these compass points. That there 
is in this country a universal awakening in the inter- 
est of outdoor gardening and to the recognition of the 
fact that a garden transforms a dwelling into a home, 
is proved to the hilt. The art of gardening and the 
love of hardy flowers have come to stay. 

Now, in gardening and in the full and proper devel- 
opment of its spirit, there are four elemental forces: 
the Amateur, the Gardener, the Trade, the Press. 
Their respective spheres of usefulness are self-evident. 
They are co-equal and interdependent and each, by 
itself, can accomplish nothing. Neither can any 
dual or triple combination of these forces attain any- 
thing of real and lasting value. The quadruple alli- 
ance is absolutely essential to the art and love of 
gardening. No one of these forces is the master key, 
for that is held by the Spirit of man which — no mat- 
ter how glossed over by the struggle for existence, by 
the sordid cares of every-day life, by ambitious desire 



298 ARISTOCRATS OF THE GARDEN 

for wealth, power, or ephemeral pleasures — ever craves 
for something outside itself, for those innocent joys 
and objects of beauty which bounteous Nature has 
furnished in forest and woodland, in meadow and 
swamp, in valley and on hill-top. And the more 
cultured a race or nation becomes, the more incessant 
grows the spirit. 

The present-day energy of each of these four ele- 
mental forces could be subjected to criticism, for 

wholesome criticism is healthful; yet rather would 

I. 
I urge each to consider its function and resolve ac- 
cordingly. 

Arboreta, Botanic Gardens and all plant experi- 

ii 

mental institutions have a value not yet properly under- 
stood, for their collections and experiments demonstrate 
the wealth of material available and its adaptability 
to garden needs. 

Horticultural exhibitions are a potent agency in 
furthering the knowledge and love of plants, but if 
the exhibits were more generally and more legibly lab- 
eled the educational value of such exhibitions would 
be enormously enhanced. 

Societies founded for the advancement of horti- 

I 

culture generally and for that of particular flowers 
are a natural and inevitable outcome of the desire for 
gardens and for mutual help and intercourse. Garden 



EPILOGUE 299 

clubs, so rapidly being formed and so enthusiastically 
developed, is another most welcome sign of the 
awakening that is in progress. And so, in laying 
down his pen, a missionary of horticulture can ex- 
press himself as satisfied that the people of this 
country are beginning to appreciate the truths ad- 
mirably enunciated by Lord Bacon, when he says of 
gardens: 

"God Almighty first planted a garden, and, indeed, 
it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest 
refreshment to the spirits of man, without which 
buildings or palaces are but gross handiworks. And 
a man should ever see that when ages grow to civility 
and elegancy men come to build stately sooner than 
to garden finely, as if gardening were the greater per- 
fection." 

E. H. Wilson. 

Arnold Arboretum. 



THE END 



INDEX 



Abies brachyohylla, ii6 

Abies cephalonica, 117 

Abies cilicica, 117 

Abies concolor, 1x6, 118 

Abies homolepis, 116 

Abies Nordmanniana, 117 

Abies Veitchii, 117 

Abelia grandiflora, 53 

Acacia, hardy in California, 37 

Acantbopanax (Kalopanax ricinifolium), foi 

summer display, 41, 43 
Acantbopanax Henryi, Q4 
Acantbopanax sessiliflorum, 94 
Acantbopanax spinosum, 94 
Acer rubrum, 176 
Acer saccbarinum, 176 
Aconite, Winter, 174 
.Aconitum Hemsleyanum, 238 
Aconitum Wilsonii, 237, 238 
Actinidia, 56 
Actinidia arguta, 63 
Actinidia cbinensis, 63 
Actinidia kalomikta, 63 
Actinidia polygama, 63 
Adam's Needle (Yucca), 49 
Aesculus parviflora, for summer display, 46 
Ailanthus glandulosa, 172 
Ailanthus Vilmoriniana, 172 
Aitchison's Rose, Mrs. (Rosa Ecae), one of six 

known yellow species, 13 
Akebia lobata, 64 
Akebia quinata, 64 
Alder (Alnus^, ids, 176 
Alkaline soils, neutralization of, 153 
"Almagestum", Plukenet's, 4 
American Beauty Rose, wild prototype of, ii 
Amorpha canescens, S3 
Ampelopsis aconitifolia, 74 
Ampelopsis aconitifolia, var. palrailoba, 74 
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, 74 
Ampelopsis Englemanii, 73 
Ampelopsis beterophylla, 74 J 
Ampelopsis humilifolia, 74 
Ampelopsis megalophylla, 74 
Ampelopsis micans, 74 
Ampelopsis Veitcbii, 73 
Andromeda floribunda, 14a 
Andromeda polifolia, 142 
Anisostichus capreolatus, 68 
Apple, 106 
Apple, Chinese, 209 
Apricot (Prunus Armeniaca), 190 
Apricot, Japanese, 187 
Aralia cbinensis, 94 
Aralia spinosa, 94 
Arborvitae, or White Cedar, 128 
Arborvitae, Chinese, 129 
Arborvitae, Giant, 127 
Arbutus, Trailing, 148 
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, 149 
Aristolochia durior, s6, 74 
Aristolochia Kaempferi, 74 
Aristolochia monpinensis, 74 
Aristolochia sipbo, 56, 74 



Aristolochia tomentosa, 74 

Aronia atropurpurea, 96 

Aronia arbutifolia, 96 

Aionia melanocarpa, 96 

Aronia melanocarpa, var, elata, 96 

Aronia melanocarpa, var. grandifolia, 96 

Arrow-wood (Viburnum acerifolium), 95 

Artemisia lactiflora, 234 

Arnold Arboretum, number of species of Rosa 
recognized as indigenous to North America, 
10; Southern Hemisphere shrubs unsuccessful, 
36; five species of Sorbaria in cultivation, 47; 
species of Yucca found hardy, 49; Elsholtzia 
Stauntonii introduced, 51; Hydrangia petio- 
laris introduced, 68; species of Vitis found | 
hardy, 72; evergreen climbers, 73, 76; Govern- 
ment investigations on plants for winter 
food for birds, 81; species of Phillodendron, 
93; largest collection of conifers on continent, 
ns; species of conifers found hardy, ii6i 
Pseudotsuga taxifolia, 119; Picea pungens, 
119; Picea Engelmanni, lai; Tsuga caroliniana 
introduced, 123; raises Cedar of Lebanon 
from cold Asia Minor seed, 126; broad-leaved 
Evergreens, 140; Leucothoe Catesbaei hardy, 
143; Ilex crenata major not hardy, 145; 
Buxus microphyla hardy, 14s; Evonymus 
radicans, var. acutus, 151; new species of 
Cotoneaster, is8; Hamamelis vemaUs, 178; 
Forsythias, 192; Flowering Cherry, 195, 197, 
198, 199, 200; produces Malus Amoldiana, 
308; introduces Malus Sieboldii, var. calo- 
carpa, 209; Lilacs grown from wild seed, 214; 
all Lilacs hardy, 21s; number varieties Lilac 
cultivated, 217; best dozen Common Lilacs of 
proven merit, 218; progression of Lilac bloom, 
319 et seq; Syringa villosa introduced, 224; 
Syringa Wollii received from Russia, 224; 
Syringa Sweginzowi latest Lilac to flower, 
22s; Syringa _ pekinensis introduced, 226; 
Syringa japonica introduced, 227; species of 
Rhododendrons, 251, 252; Rhododendron 
poukhanense introduced, 256; list of best 
varieties of Rhododendrons, 261; large-leaved 
evergreen Rhododendrons hardy, 270; re- 
ceives rooted layer of Davidia involucrata 
from France, 294 

Ash, American or White, 106 

Ash, Mountain, 87, 106 

Asiatic Corktrees (Phellodendron), 84, 93 

Astilbe Arendsi, 236 

Astilbe astilboides, 235 

Astilbe Davidii, 23S 

Astilbe grandis, 235 

Astilbe japonica, 23s _ 

Attar of Roses, species cultivated for, 13 

Ayrshire Roses, origination of, 12 

Azalea, the three sections of, 249 

Azalea, Clammy, 2S2 

Azalea pontica, 253, 234 

Azalea, Yellow, 251 

Azalea, yodogawa, 236 

Azaleas, China introduced into England, 4 

Azaleas, culture of, 247 , 



301 



302 



INDEX 



Azaleas, Ghent, 2S4 
Azaleas, Mollis hybrids, 2SS 
Azaleas, planting Lilies among, 31 
Azaleas, Tsutsutsi, 253 

Banks, Sir Joseph, introduces Bengal Rose into 
England, 1789, s 

Banksian Rose, sent from China by early plant 
collectors, 6; prototype of, 10 

Barberries, for ornamental fruits, 83; new intro- 
ductions, 165 

Bartram, John, discovers Gordonia altamaha, 43 

Bartram, William, introduces Gordonia altamaha 
into England, 43 

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), 149 

Beauty of Glazenwood Rose, 8 

Beech, 106, 107, 109 

Bengal Rose, history of, 4, 5 

Benzoin aestivale, 84, 180 

Berberis acuminata, 166 

Berberis amurensis, 90 

Berberis atrocarpa, 166 

Berberis canadensis, 90 

Berberis candidula, 166 

Berberis Darwinii, 163 

Berberis Gagnepainii, 96, 163 

Berberis Julianae, 06, 166 

Berberis Sargentiana, 96, 166 

Berberis sinensis. 90 

Berberis stenophylla, 97 

Berberis Thunbergii, 90 

Berberis triacanthophora, 166 

Berberis Veitcbii, 166 

Berberis verruculosa, 97^, 146, 166 

Berberis vulgaris, 90 

Berberis Wilsonae, 90, 166 

Berchemia racemosa, 63 

Berchemia scandens, 63 

Berckmans. Louis A., rediscovers Magnolia 
cordata, 40 

Bigelovv. Dr. Wm Sturgis, sends seeds of Prunus 
serrulata, var. sachalinensis, to Arnold Ar- 
boretum, 200; also seed from Japan of Malus 
Sieboldii, var., calocarpa, 209 

Bignonia capreolata, 68 

Birch, io6, 107 

Birch, White, 106 

Birds, plants for winter food of, 81 

Birthworts CAristolochia) 74 

Black Alder, or Winter-berry, 87 

Black fruited shrubs and trees, 93 

Blackberries, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Bladder Sennas, 49 

Bloomy black and blue fruited shrubs, 97 

Blue fruited shrubs, 97 

Blueberries (Vaccinium), 97 

Blueberries for ornamental fruits, 84 

Blueberries in autumn colors, 106 

Boston Ivy, 73 

Boston Ivy, climbing organs of, 36 

Bourbon, Isle of, China Roses introduced, 4, 7 

Boursault Roses, origination of, I2 

Box. Common, 143 

Box, Japanese. 143 

Brambles in autumn colors, 106, 109 

Bretschneider, Dr. E., introducer of Prunus 
triloba, 192; sends seeds of Syringa oblata to 
Petrograd from Peking, 220; sends seeds of 
Syringa pubescens to Arnold Arboretum, 220; 
introduces Syringa villosa into Arnold Arbore- 
tum, 224: introduces Syringa pekinensis, into 
cultivation at Arnold Arboretum, 226 _ 

Broad-leaved evergreens, not hardy in New 

England, 37 , ,. 

Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) for summer dis- 
play, 46 
Buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus), 94 



Buddleia asiatica, 168 

Buddleia Davidii, 32, 167 

Buddleia Davidii, var. magoifica, 5S 

Buddleia Farquharii, 168 

Buddleia officmalis, 168 

Buddleia variabilis, 32 

Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea), 88 

Bull bay (Magnolia grandiflora), 171 

Burmah, Rosa gigantea introduced from, g 

Bush Honeysuckles, 89, 95, gS, 99 

Butternut, 106 

Buttontree, 106 

Buxus microphyla, 143 

Buxus microphyla, var. japonica, 145 

Buxus sempervirens, 143, 146 

Buxus sempervirens myrtifolia, 14s 

Cabbage Rose (Rosa centifolia), known to 
PUny, 12; grown for preparation of Attar of 
Roses, 13 

California, horticultural possibilities, 133 

Callicarpa japonica, 31 

Calluna, planting Lilies among, 31 

Calluna vulgaris, 34, 130 

Calluna vulgaris, as ground cover for Azaleas, 247 

Camellia cuspidata, 164 

Camellias, introduced into England, 4 

Campsis chinensis, 67 

Campsis hybrida, 67 

Campsis radicans. 67 

Campsis radicans, var. praecox, 67 

Caroline Testout Rose, wild prototype of, 11 

Carrieria calycina, 171 

Caryopteris incana, 30 

Caryopteris Mastacanthus, 30 

Castor oil plant, gives name to Kalopanaz 
ricinifolium, 44 

Catalpa, 106 

Cats' partiality to Actinidia polygama, 63 

Ceanothus hybridus, S3 

Cedar, Atlas, 126 

Cedar, Red, T33 

Cedar, White,* 128 

Cedar of Lebanon, 123; hardy trees being raised 
by Arnold Arboretum, 126 

Cedrus atlantica, 126 

Cedrus deodara, 126 

Cedrus libani, 123; Arnold Arboretum suc- 
cessful in raising hardy trees, 126 

Celastrus, 36, 83 

Celastrus articulata, 63 

Celastrus flagellaris, 63 

Celastrus scandens, 63 

Celtis, for ornamental fruits, 84 

Chamaecyparis thyoides, 129 

Chamaecyparis thyoides, var. leptoclada, 133 

Chamaecyparis obtusa, 127 

Chamaecyparis obtusa, var. gracilis, 133 

Chamaecyparis obtusa, var. nana, 130, 133 

Chamaecyparis obtusa, var. nana aurea, 133 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, 130 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. aurea, 131 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var filifera, 133 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. filifera aurea, 133 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. plumosa, 131 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. plumosa albo- 
picta, 131 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. plumosa argentia, 

'31 . . .r 

Chamaecypans pisifera, var. plumosa aurea, 

'31 . . ., 

Chamaecyparis pisifera, var. squarrosa, 131 
Chamaecyparis pisifera. var. sulphurea, 131 
Checkerberry, or Wintergreen, 149 
Cherokee Rose (Rosa laevigata), originally from 

China, 6, lo; on graves of soldiers in the 

South, 17 



INDEX 



303 



Cherry, io6 

Cherry, Cornelian, 87 

Cherry, Japanese Dwarf, 203 

Cherry, Weeping, 199 

Cherry Festival of Japan, 197, 199 

Cherries, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Cherries, Japanese, beauty of, 197, 198 

Cherries, Wild, 109 

Chestnut, 106, 107, 109 

Chimonanthus fragrans, 186 

China Monthly Rose, prototype of, 10 

China Monthly Rose and French Rose parents 

of Hybrid China Roses, 7 
Chinese Moonseed (Sinomenium acutum), 75 
Chin-yin-hwa (Lonicera japonica, var. chinensis), 

67 
Chiogenes serpyllifolia, 150 
Chokeberry (Aronia), 96 
Chrysanthemums, introduced into England from 

China, 4 
Cinnamon Rose (Rosa cinnamomea), known to 

ancient writers, 12 
Cinquefoil, yellow, 49 
Clark, William S., introducer of Magnolia 

kobus, var. borealis, i8s; introduces Syringa 

japonica into cultivation at Arnold Arbore- 
tum, 227 
Clematis, climbing organs of, 56 
Clematis apiifolia, 70 
Clematis Armandi, 77 
Clematis Armandi, f. Farquhariana, 77 
Clematis coccinea, 70 
Clematis Fargesii, 70 
Clematis glauca, 70 
Clematis glauca, var. akebioides, 70 
Clematis florida, 69 
Clematis heracleaefolia, 50 
Clematis Jackmani, 69 
Clematis lanuginosa, 69 
Clematis montana. 69 
Clematis montana, var. rubens, 69 
Clematis montana, var. Wilsonii, 70 
Clematis paniculata, 70 
Clematis patens, 69 
Clematis stans, 50 
Clematis tangutica, 70 
Clematis Viticella, 69 
Clerodendron trichotomum, 45 
Clethra acuminata, 46 
Clethra alnifolia, 46 
Clethra canescens, 47 
Clethra tomentosa, 46 
Climbing plants, climbing organs of, s6; pergolas 

for, ST, trellises, 58; on trees, 59; best situations 

for, so 
Climbing shrubs, evergreen, 75, 76 
Climbing shrubs, hardy, 55-77 
Cocculus Thunbergii, 75 
Cocculus trilobus, 75 

Coignet, M., introducer of Rambler Rose, 9 
CoUett, General, introduces Rosa gigantea from 

Burmah, 9 
Coloring of the leaves in autumn, loi 
Colutea arborescens, 49 
Colutea cilicica, 49 
Colutea orientalis, 49 
Colville's Nursery, London, introducers of Rosa 

microphylla, or Rosa Roxburgii,7 
Comptonia, planting Lilies among, 31 
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus), 99 
Corema Conradii, 149 
Corktrees, Asiatic (Phellodendron),93 
Cornel, 106, no 

Cornel, Silky (Cornus Amomum), 98 
Cornus, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Cornus alba, 99 
Cornus Amomum, 98 



Cornus Arnoldiana, 99 

Cornus candidissima, 99 

Cornus circinata, 99 

Cornus florida, 87 

Cornus Heyeri, 99 

Cornus mas, 87 

Cornus mas, var. xantbocarpa, 87 

Cornus obliqua, 98 

Cornus occidentalis, 99 

Cornus oreophilus, 99 

Cornus racemosa, 99 

Cornus rugosa, 99 

Cornus sanguinea, 99 

Cornus stolonifera, 99 

Corydalis thalictrifolia, 241 

Corydalis Wilsonii, 241 

Corylopsis pauciflora, 170 

Corylopsis platypetala, 170 

Corylopsis sinensis. 170 

Corylopsis spicata, 170 

Corylopsis Veitchiana, 170 

Corylopsis Wilhnottiana, 170 

Cotoneaster, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Cotoneaster, new species of, 158 

Cotoneaster acutifolia, 96 

Cotoneaster acutifolia, var. villosula, 96 

Cotoneaster adpressa, 91 

Cotoneaster amoena, 159 

Cotoneaster buUata, 91 

Cotoneaster buUata, var. macrophylla, gi 

Cotoneaster Dammeri, 91, 159 

Cotoneaster disticha, 91 

Cotoneaster divaricata, 91 

Cotoneaster faveolata, 96 

Cotoneaster Franchettii, 159 

Cotoneaster Harroviana, 158 

Cotoneaster Henryana, 159 

Cotoneaster horizontalis, 91 

Cotoneaster horizontalis, var. perpusilla, 91 

Cotoneaster humifusa, 159 

Cotoneaster hupehensis, 91 

Cotoneaster lucida, 96 

Cotoneaster monpinensis, 96 

Cotoneaster multiflora, 91 

Cotoneaster nitens, 96 

Cotoneaster pannosa, 156, 158 

Cotoneaster racemiflora, 91 

Cotoneaster racemiflora, var. soongorica, 91 

Cotoneaster saliciiolia, 92, 158 

Cotoneaster salicifolia, var. floccosa, 92, 158 

Cotoneaster salicifolia, var. rugosa, 92, 158 

Cotoneaster vulgaris, 96 

Cotoneaster, Willow-leaved, 158 

Coventry, Lord introduces Koelreuteria into 

England, 41 
Cowberry (Vaccinium Vitis-idaea), 148 
Crabapples, 79, 83, 93, 203, 205 
Crataegus, for ornamental fruits, 83, 8s 
Crataegus Arnoldiana, 85 
Crataegus cordata, 85 
Crataegus crus-galli, 86 
Crataegus monogyna, 86 
Crataegus nitida, 85 
Crataegus Oxyacantha, 86 
Crataegus pinnatifida, 86 
Crataegus pruinosa, 86 
Crataegus punctata, 86 
Crataegus succulenta, 85 

Crimson Monthly Rose, Fairy Rose a variant, 7 
Crimson Rambler Rose, origin of. 9 
Cross-vine (Anissotichus capreolatus), 68 
Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), 149 
Currant, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Cypress (Taxodium), 113 
Cypress, Chinese CGlyptostrobus), 114 
Cytisus capitatus, 49 
Cytisus nigricans, 49 



304 



INDEX 



Damask Rose, one of the parents of Hybrid 
Perpetual, or Remontant, Roses, 7; known to 
ancient writers, 13; grown for preparation of 
Attar of Roses, 13 

Daphne Cneorum, 147, 181 

Davidia involucrata, Story of the, Mr. Wilson 
sent by Messrs. Veitch to China, 275; en route 
meets Professor Sargent and Mr. Jackson 
Dawson at Arnold Arboretum, 276; reaches 
Hongkong;, 276; by small boat and overland 
to Laokai, 278; detained two months on 
account of Boxer uprising, 270; thought to 
be a spy, 281 ; Proceeds on journey and meets 
at Mengtsze, W. F. S. Spinney who with his 
family had escaped the mob, 283; meets Dr. 
Henry at Szemao, 285; returns to Hongkong, 
286; Arrives at Ichang, his headquarters 
for two years, and outfits for e.xpedition, 286; 
through hostile country to location of Dr. 
Henry's tree, and finds it destroyed! 28g; 
weeks later accidentally discovers a Davfdia 
in full flower, 290; later discovers ten others 
and collects quantity of seeds which sends to 
England, 291; On return to England finds 
that one plant had been raised in France 
from seeds antedating his introduction, 294 

Davidia involucrata, var. Vilmoriniana, 294 

Dawson, Jackson, met in Boston by Mr. Wilson 
en route in search of Davidia, 276 

De Candolle, referred Glycine sinensis to Wis- 
taria genus, 60 

D'Incarville, Father, sends seeds of Sophora 
japonica to France, 43 

Deodar, 126 

Deutzia discolor, 169 

Deutzia longifolia, 169 

Deutzia longifolia, var. Veitchii, 169 

Deutzia mollis, 169 

Deutzia Schneideriana, 169 

Deutzia Schneideriana, var. laxifolia, 169 

Deutzia Wilsonii, 169 

Deutzias, planting Lilies among, 31 

Deutzias, valuable for forcing, 170 

De.xter, F. Gordon, first to send Lilium auratum 
to America, 21; also first double purple variety 
of Japanese Wistaria, 63 

Dirca palustris, 83, 180 

Diospyros virginiana, 84, 93 

Dogwood, Poison, 107 

Dogwoods, for ornamental fruit, 83 

Douglas David, introduces Douglas Fir (Pseu- 
dotsuga taxifolia) into England, 118 

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia durior), 56, 74 

Dwarf conifers, 132 

Dwarf trees, Japanese, 124, 129, t88 

Dwarf trees in pots, Japanese, 188, 203 

Dyes made from Sophora japonica, 43 

Easter Lily, type of group, 25 

Elaeagnus, for ornamental fruits, 84 

Elaeagnus angustifolia, 88 

Elaeagnus longipes, 88 

Elaeagnus umbellata, 88 

Elder, 105 

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), 94 

Elderberries, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Elm, 106, 109, 176 

Elsholtzia Stauntonii, introduced into Arnold 

Arboretum by Mr. J. G. Jack, 51 
Empetrum nigrum, 149 
Epigaea repens, 148 
Eranthis hyemalis, 174 
Erica camea, 53, 180 
Erica carnea alba, 180 
Erica cinerea, S4 
Erica Mackaii, 54 
Erica Stricta, 54 



Krica Tetralix, 54 

Erica vagans, 53 

Erica vagans, var. alba, 53 

Erica vagans, var. grandiflora, S3 

Erica vagans, var. rubra, 53 

Ericas, 150 

Ericas, as ground cover for Azaleas, 247 

Ericas, planting Lilies among, 31 

Eucalyptus, hardy in California, 37 

Evans, Thomas, from China sends first Rambler 

Rose to England, s 
Evergreen climbers, 75, 76 
Evonymus, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Evonymus alatus, 88 
Evonymus Bungeanus, 88 
Evonymus kewensis, 76, 151 
Evonymus minimus, 76 
Evonymus radicans. 75, 151 
Evonjonus radicans, var. acutus, 151 
Evonymus radicans, var. minimus, 151 
Evonymus radicans, var. vegetus, 75, 76, 151 
Evonymus radicans, climbing organs of, 57 

Fairy Rose (Rosa chinensis, var. minima) 
introduced into England from Mauritius, 7 

Farges, Pere, sends first seeds of Davidia in- 
volucrata to Europe, 294 

Father Hugh's Rose (Rosa Hugonis), one of six 
known yellow species, 15 

Ferns, planting Lilies among, 31 

Fir, Douglas (Pseudotsuga taxifolia), ii8 

Firs (Abies),, 116 

Fitzgerald, Edward, Rose on grave of, 16 

Flowering Dogwood, 87 

Foreign trees and shrubs in the United States, 
36 

Forsythia europae, 193 

Forsythia intermedia, 192, 193 

Forsythia intermedia spectabUis, 193, 193 

Forsythia suspensa, 192 

Forsythia viridissima, 192 

Forsythias, or Golden Bells, 192 

Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca), 73, no 

Fortune, Robert, plant collector in China, 
sends to England, Rosa odorata, var. pseudo- 
indica and Rosa Fortuneana, 8; discovers 
Actinidia chinensis, 64; introduces Jasminum 
nudiflorum, 187; introduces Syringa oblata 
into England, 220 

Eraser, John, introduces Rhododendron cataw- 
biense into England from America 264 

Fraxinus americana, 106 

French Rose CRosa gallica), with Rose Edward, 
parents of Hybrid Bourbon Roses, 7; known 
to Pliny, 11; grown for preparation of Attar of 
Roses, Ti 

Frost Grape (Vitis cordifolia), 73 

Fruit trees, floral charms of, 196 

Garland-flower (Daphne cneorum), 147, i8i 

Garden Magazine, article on Buddleia, 53 

Gaultherta procumbens, 149 

Gaylussacia brachycera, 148 

Genista tinctoria, var. elata, 49 

Gerard, cultivates Lilac in London in 1597, 213 

Giant Lily, type of group, 25 

Gibbes, Prof^ L. R., discoverer of Tsuga caro- 

liniana, 123 
Gilbert, Mr., exhibitor of "The Engineer" 

Rose, afterward named the Crimson Rambler, 

8 
Ginkgo biloba, 106, 135 
Girald, Pfere G., Syringa affinis, var. Giraldii 

named after, 219 
Gleditsia, 106 
Glycine frutescens, 60 
Glycine sinensis, 60 



INDEX 



305 



Glyptostrobus, tt4 

Gooseberry, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Gordon, J., introduces Sophora japonica into 

England 42 
Gordonia altamaha, discovered by John Bartram 

and introduced by his son, Williani, 45 
Grape, Fox (Vitis labrusca), 73, no 
Grape, Frost (Vitis cordifolia), 73 
Grape, Oregon, 146 
Grape, Sugar (Vitis rupestris), 73 
Grape, Summer (Vitis aestivalis), 7a 
Grapevine, climbing organs of, 56 
Grapevines (Vitis), 70 
Greenbriers (Smilax), 75 
Greville, Charles Francis, introduces "Seven 

Sisters" Rose (Rosa multiflora, var. platy- 

phylla), s 
Gronovius, writes in 1704, of Bengal Rose, s 
Ground cover, plants for, 147, 148, 149, 159 
Ground cover for Azaleas, 247 
Guelder Rose (Viburnum Opulus, var. xantho- 

carpum), 93 
Gum, Blue (Eucaljrptus), 113 

Hackberry, for ornamental fruits, 84 

Hackmatack or Tamarack, 134 

Hall, Dr. George R., sends first seeds of Japanese 

Wistaria to America, 6a; brings collection 

valuable plants from Japan, 184; introduces 

Malus Halliana into the United States, 206 
Hall's Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica, var, 

Halliana), 67 
Hamamelis japonica, 178 
Hamamelis mollis, 178 
Hamamelis vernalis, 178 
Hamamelis virginiana, 177, 178 
Hamamelis virginiana, var. arborea, 178 
Harison Rose, probable derivation of, 16 
Hazelnut (Corylus), 176 
Hawthorn, 106 

Hawthorns, for ornamental fruits, 83, 8s 
Heath (Erica camea), 180 
Heath, Cornish, S3 
Heath, Downy (Erica cinerea), 54 
Heath, Irish (Doboeia poUfolia), S4 
Heaths, hardy, 53 
Hedera Helix, 150 
Hedera Helix, var. amurensis, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. canariensis, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. chrysocarpa, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. colchica, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. crenata, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. deltoidea, 77 
Hedera Helix, var. rhombea, 77 
Hedera Helix, climbing organs of, 57 
Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 114, 122 
Hemlock, CaroUna, 123 
Henry, Dr. A., finds prototype of Rosa chinenesis, 

var. spontanea, 10; visited by Mr. Wilson in 

quest of Davidia, 275 
Henry, L., originator of Syringa Henryi, 228 
Hercules Club (Aralia spinosa), 94 
Hibiscus syriacus, for summer resorts, 39 
Hickory, 106 
Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum americanum), 

91 
Highland Park, Rochester, display of Lilacs at, 

217 
Hobble Bush (Viburnum alnifolium), 93 
Hogplum, Chinese, 173 
Holly, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Holly, new varieties of, 164 
Holly, American, 143 
Holly, English, 87 
Holly Mountain, 88 
Honey Locust (Gleditsia), 106 
Honeysuckle, Bush, 89, 95, 98, 99, 193 



Honeysuckle, Swamp, asa 

Honeysuckles, European, 66 

Honeysuckles, for fruits and flowers, 79, 8a 

Horsechestnut, 106 

Hortensia, for summer resorts, 39 

Huckleberry, Box, 148 

Hume, Sir Abraham, introduces Tea-scented 

Rose into England from China, 5 
Hunnewell Pinetum, Pseudolarix Kaempferi at, 

I3S 
Hybrid Bourbon Rose, origin of, 7; used in ori- 
ginating Hybrid Perpetual or Remontant 

Roses, 7 
Hybrid China Rose, used in originating Hybrid 

Perpetual or Remontant Roses, 7; parentage of, 

7 
Hybrid Perpetual or Remontant Roses, parentage 

of, 8 
Hybrid Perpetual and Tea Rose, parents of 

Hybrid Tea Roses, 8 
Hybrid Tea Roses, parentage of, 8 
Hydrangea, Climbing (Hydrangea petiolaris), 68 
Hydrangea opuloides, var. otsaka for summer 

display, 39 
Hydrangea paniculata, for summer resorts, 39 
Hydrangea petiolaris, 68 
Hydrangea petiolaris, climbing organs of, S7 
Hydrangeas, for summer resorts, 39 
Hypericum patulum, var. Henryi, 50 

Ilex, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Ilex Aquifolium, 87, 143, 165 

Hex Aquifolium, var. fructu-luteo, 87 

Ilex crenata, 96, 144 

Eex coraUina, 165 

Ilex Fargesii, 164 

Dex Franchetiana, 164 

Ilex glabra, 96, 144 

Ilex laevigata, 88 

Ilex opaca, 87, 143 

Ilex Pernyi, 164 

Ilex Sieboldii, 88 

Ilex Sieboldii, var. fructu-albo, 88 

Ilex Veitchii, 164 

Ilex verticillata, 88 

Ilex verticillata, var. chrysocarpa, 88 

Ilex yunnanensis, 165 

"Index Kewensis" number of species of Rose 

enumerated in, 10 
Indigofera amblyantha, 51 
Indigofera decora, 50 
Indigofera Gerardiana, 51 
Indigofera Kirilowii, 50 
Indigoferas, planting Lilies among, 31 
Inkberry (Ilex glabra), 96, 144 
Irritability or sensitiveness in plants, 55 
Iris chrysographes, 239 
Iris Wilsonii, 239 

Irish Ivy (Hedera Helix, var. canariensis), 77 
Itea ilicifolia, 165 
Ivy, climbing organs of, 57 
Ivy, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Jack, J. G., introduces Elsholtzia Stauntonii into 
Arnold Arboretum, si; introduces Rhododen- 
dron poukhanense, 256 

Japanese dwarf trees, 124, 188, 203 

Jasminum Beesianum, 167 

Jasminum nudiflorum, 187 

Jasminum primulinum, 156, 167, 286 

Jenner, Mr., original owner of The Engineer" 
Rose, afterward named Crimson Rambler, 8 

Jumper, Chinese, 133 

Juniper, Common, 134 

Juniperus chinensis, 133 

Juniperus chinensis, var. Sargentii, 132 



306 



INDEX 



Junipenis chinensis, var. Pfitzeriana, 133 

Juniperus communis, 134 

Juniperus communis, var. oblonga, 134 

Junir>erus horizontalis, 132 

Juniperus procumbens, 132 

Juniperus rigida, 134 

Juniperus squamata, 132 

Juniperus virginiana, 133 

Juniperus virginiana, var. tripartita, 133 

Kalmia angustifolia, 142 

Kalmia glauca, 142 

Kalmia latifolia, 140, 141 

Kalmia latifolia, var. alba, 141 

Kaknia latifolia, var. fuscata, 141 

Kalmia latifolia, var. myrtifolia, 141 

Kalmia latifolia, var. obtusata, 141 

Kalmia latifolia, var. polypetala, 141 

Kalmia latifolia, var. rubra, 141 

Kalopanax ricinifolium, 41, 43, 94 

Kerr, William, plant collector in China sends 

out, 1807, Rosa Banksiae, 6 
Kew Gardens, Forsythia europae introduced 

into, 193 
Killarney Rose, wild prototypes of, 11 
Koelreuteria apiculata, now in cultivation, 42 
Koelreuteria paniculata, for summer display, 41 

Lace-wing Fly, Rhododendron pest, 271 

Lady Hillingdon Rose, wOd prototype of, 11 

La-mei-hwa shrub, 186 

Larch (Larix), 113 

Larch, Golden (Pseudolarix), 113 

Larches, 134 

Larix decidua, 134 

Larix Kaempferi, 134 

Larix laricina, 134 

Laurel, Mountain, 140 

Laurel, Pale, 142 

Laurel, Sheep, 142 

Lavender, Lilies planted with, 31 

Leatherwood, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Leatherwood (Dirca palustris), 180 

Lee and Kennedy, introduce Rosa rugosa into 
England, 1796, 6 

Lemoine, Victor, hybridizer, 169 

Lemoine et Fils, V., introducers of Syringa 
aflinis, var Giraldii, 220 

Lespedeza bicolor, 51 

Lespedeza crytobotrj'a, 51 

Lespedeza formosa, 51 

Lespedezas, planting Lilies among, 31 

Leucothoe Catesbaei, 143 

Libocedrus (Incense Cedar), 113 

Ligustrum Delavayanum, 163 

Ligustrum Henryi, 163 

Ligustrum Prattii, 163 

Ligustrum vulgare, 96 

Ligustrum vulgare, var. foliosum, g6 

Lilac, Common, 213 

Lilac, Himalayan, 223 

Lilac, Hungarian, 214, 224, 228 

Lilac, Japanese Tree, 215 

Lilac, Persian, 214, 221 

Lilac, Rouen, 228 

Lilac, Summer, 52, 167 

LOacs, how propagated, 216 

Lilacs, Hybrid, 227 

Lilacs, soil requirements, 215 

Lilacs, Tree, 226 

Lilacs, Winter, 168 

Lilies, how they grow, 19; beginnings of bulb 
growing by Japanese, 22; range of the genus, 
24, 25 ; botanical groups, 25; grouping as hardy 
and tender varieties, etc., 25; detest lime, 26; 
require drainage, 26; varieties from Thibet 
and China, 29; soil requirements, 23, 26, 31, 



34; importance of mulching, 32, 34; planted 
among shrubs, 31; root systems of, 32; how 
and when to plant, 33 

Lihum auratum, introduced, 1862, in England 
and America, 21; esteemed in Japan, as food, 
21; most common in Japan, 22; difficulty in 
growing, 22, 35; soil requirements, 23; selec- 
tion of bulbs for planting, 24; type of group, 
25; planted among Rhododendrons, 31; root 
system of, 32; satisfactory in every garden, 35 

Lilium auratum, var. platyphyllum, 22 

Lilium, botanical groups, 25 

Lilium candidum, 20, 26, 35 

Lilium croceum, satisfactory in every garden, 35 

Lilium giganteum, 25, 26 

Lilium Henryi, 25, 30, 31, 32, 35, 242 

Lilium Hansonii, 31, 33 

Lilium longiflorum, 25, 26 

Lilium pardalinum, 27, 31, 35 

Lilium philippinense, 25 

Lilium neilgherrense, 25 

Lilium nepalense, 26 

Lilium martagon, 26 

Lilium myriophyllum, or Regal Lily, aS 

Lilium regale, 23, 26, 28, 32, 35, 242 

Lilium Sargentiae, 29, 33 

Lilium speciosum, 31, 33 

Lilium superbum, 27, 31, 35 

Lilium sulphureum, 26 

LUium testaceum, 26, 33 

Lilium tigrinum, 20, 23, 35, 242 

Lilium Thayerae, 30, 33 

Lilium umbellatum, 23, 35 

Lime, not for lilies, 26 

Lindley's Rose (Rosa xanthina), introduced in 
1908 by F. N. Meyer, of United States De- 
partment of Agriculture, 13 

Ling (Calluna vulgaris), 33, 34 

Linden, 106, 109 

Lindens, for summer display, 40 

Lobb, WiUiam, introduces Giant Arborvitae 
(Thuja plicata), into England, 127 

Locust (Robinia), 103 

Lonicera Brownii, 66 

Lonicera Brownii, f. fuchsioides, 66 

Lonicera, Caprifolium, 36, 67 

Lonicera chrysantha, 89 

Lonicera coerulea, 98 

Lonicera coerulea, var. altaica, 98 

Lonicera coerulea, var. gracilifiora, 98 

Lonicera coerulea, var. villosa, 98 

Lonicera fiava, 66 

Lonicera fragrantissima, 193 

Lonicera glaucescens, 66 

Lonicera Heckrotti, 66 

Lonicera Henryi, 76, 131 

Lonicera hirsuta, 66 

Lonicera involucrata, 96 

Lonicera japonica, var. chinensis, 67 

Lonicera japonica, var. Halliana, 67 

Lonicera Maackii, 90 

Lonicera Maackii, var. podocarpa, 90 

Lonicera micrantha, 92 

Lonicera minutiflora, 92 

Lonicera Morrowii, 89, 92 

Lonicera muscaviensis, 89 

Lonicera muendeniensis, 89 

Lonicera nervosa, 93 

Lonicera nigra, 93 

Lonicera nitida, 163 

Lonicera Percilymenum, 66 

Lonicera Periclymenum, var. bel^ca, 67 

Lonicera pileata, 163 

Lonicera prolifera, 66 

Lonicera quinquelocularis, 99 

Lonicera Ruprechtiana, 89 

Lonicera Ruprechtiana, var. xanthocarpa, ga 



INDEX 



307 



Lonicera sempervi'rens, 66 

Lonicera Standishii, 193 

Lonicera Sullivantii, 66 

Lonicera syringinantha, go 

Lonicera syringinantha, var. Wolfii, go 

Lonicera tatanca, 89 

Lonicera tatarica, f. lutea, 92 

Lonicera thibetica, 90 

Lonicera Xylosteum, 89 

Lycium halimifolium, 65 

Macartney, Lord, introduces Rosa bracteata into 

England from China, 6 
Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum), 2O; 33 
Magnolia Campbellii, 186 
Magnolia conspicua, 182 
Magnolia cordata, discovered by Michaux, 40 
Magnolia Delavyi, 171 
Magnolia denudata, 182, 184 
Magnolia denudata, var. purpurascens, 182 
Magnolia discolor, 184 
Magnolia glauca, for summer display, 40 
Magnolia grandiflora, 171 
Magnolia Halleana, 184 
Magnolia kobus, 185 
Magnolia kobus, var. borealis, 185 
Magnolia Lennei, 184 
Magnolia liUflora, 184 
Magnolia obovata, 184 
Magnolia obovata, var. discolor, 183 
Magnolia purpurea, 184 
Magnolia rustica rubra, 184 
Magnolia Soulangeana, 184 
Magnolia stellata, 185 
Magnolia stellata, var., rosea, 185 
Magnolias, 182 
Mahonia aquifolium, 97, 146 
Mahonia repens, 97, 146 
Mahonia japonica, 97 
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo), 106, 107 ,'133 
Malus, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Malus angustifolia, 204 
Malus atrosanguinea, 207 
Malus baccata, 204 
Malus coronaria, 204 
Malus floribunda, 207 
Malus fusca, 204 
Malus glaucescens, 204 
Malus Halliana, 206 
Malus Halliana Parkmanii, 206 
Malus ioensis, 204 
Malus prunifolia, var. rinki, 210 
Malus ringo, 210 
Malus Sargentii, 211 
Malus Scheideckeri, 205 
Malus Sieboldii, 208 
Malus Sieboldii, var. arborescens, 2og 
Malus Sieboldii, var. calocarpa, 209 
Malus spectabilis, 205, 206 
Malus toringo, 208 
Malus zumi, 209 
Maple, Mountain, 106 
Maple, Red, loi, 102, 106, 107, 176 
Maple, Silver, 106, 176 
Maple, Striped, 106 
Maple, Sugar, 102, 106, 108 
Maples, 107 
Maries, Charles, introducer of Hamamelis 

mollis, 178 
Matrimony Vine (Lycium chinense), 6s 
Mauritius, Fairy Rose (Rosa chinensis, var., 

minima), introduced into England from, 7 
Mayflower, or Trailing Arbutus, 148 
McLaren, California horticulturist, 155, 158 
Meconopsis integrifolia, 230 
Menispermum canadense, 75 
Menispermum dauricum, 75 



Menzies, Archibald, discoverer of Pseudotsuga 
taxifolia, 118 

Meratia praecox, 186 

Meyer, F. N., introduces Lindley's Rose (Rosa 
xanthina), 15 

Mezereon (Daphne mezereum), 180 

Michaux, named Rosa laevigata, 6; discoverer 
of Magnolia cordata, 40 

Mrs. George Shawyer Rose, wild prototype of, 11 

Mrs. Chas. Russell Rose, wild prototype of, 11 

Mitchella repens, 150 

Moonseeds (Menispermum), 75 

Mortier, hybridizer of Azaleas, 254 

Moss Rose (Rosa centifolia, var. muscosa), 
known to ancient writers, 12 

Muenden Botanic Garden, origination of Loni- 
cera muendeniensis at, 90 

Mulberry, 84, 106 

Mulching, important for Lilies, 32 

Musk Rose, 8, 12, 156 

Nee, discoverer of Giant Arborvitae (Thuja 

plicata), 127 
Nemopanthus mucronatus, 88 
Noisette Roses, parentage of, 8 
Nuttall, gave name to Wistaria genus, 60 
Nyssa, for ornamental fruits, 84 
Nyssa sylvatica, 108 

Oak, Black, 109 

Oak, English, 109 

Oak, Red, 107, 108, 109 

Oak, Scarlet, 106, 108 

Oak, Swamp, 109 

Oak, White, 106, 108, 109 

Olearias, planting Lilies among, 31 

Oleasters (Elaeagnus), 88 

Orange and yellow fruited shrubs, 92 

Osmanchus armatus, 167 

Osmanthus Delavayi, 167 

Osteomeles Schwerinae, 161 

Oxydendrum arboreum, for summer display, 40 

Pachysandra terminalis, 147 

Pachystima Canbyi, 148 

Pachystima Myrsinites, 148 

Pacific Slope, horticultural possibilities, 153 

Panama-California Exposition, floral displays at, 
I S3 

Panama-Pacific International Exposition, floral 
displays at, 153 

Panther Lily (Lilium pardalinum), 27, 31 

Pagoda Tree (Sophora japonica), for summer 
display, 41; introduced into France from 
China by Father d'Incarville, 42 

Parkman, Francis, introduces Lilium auratum 
in America, 21; first cultivates double purple 
variety of Japanese Wistaria in America, 62; 
first in United States to cultivate Malus 
Halliana, 206 

Parks, John Damper, plant collector in China, 
sends out 1S24, Rosa Banksiae, var. lutea, 
and Rosa odorata, var. ochroleuca, 6 

Parry, Dr., discoverer of Picea pungens, 120 

Parsons, Samuel B., receives first seeds of Jap- 
anese Wistaria sent to America, 62; acquires 
collection of Japanese plants from Dr. Geo. R. 
Hall, 184 

Parthenocissus Henryana, 73 

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, 73 

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, var. San Paulii, 73 

Parthenocissus Thomsonii, 74 

Parthenocissus tricuspidata, 56, 73 

Parthenocissus vitacea, 73 

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), 150 

Peach, 106, 188 

Pear, 106 



308 



INDEX 



Pentanthera Azaleas, 24Q, aso 

Peonies, Mouton, introduced into England from 

China, 4 
Pepperbush (Clethra), for summer display, 46 
Pergolas, appropriateness of, 57; vines for, 169 
Penploca graeca, 64 
Periploca sepium, 64 
Periwinkle, Lesser, 147 
Pernettya mucronata, 100 
Pernettya rupicola, 100 
Perennial plants, new varieties from China, 230; 

conditions necessary to cultivation of, 232 
Perry, Commodore, Influence on horticulture, 21 
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), 84, 93 
Petrograd Botanic Garden, Lonicera muscavien- 

sis originated at, 89 
Pheasants, shrubs for food of, 92 
Phellodendron (Asiatic Corktree), 93 
Phellodendron, for ornamental fruits, 84 
Phellodendron amurense, 94 
Phellodendron chinense, 94 
Phellodendron japonicum, 94 
Phellodendron Lavallei, 94 
Phellodendron sachalinense, 94 
Photinia Davidsoniae, 160 
Photinia glabra, 160 
Photinia serrulata, 160 
Picea Abies, 120 

Picea Abies, var. Clanbrassiliana, 132 
Picea Abies, var. Elwangeri, 132 
Picea Abies, var. Gregorgana, 132 
Picea Abies, var. nana, 132 
Picea Abies, var. procumbens, 132 
Picea Abies, var. pumila, 132 
Picea canadensis, lai 
Picea Engelmannii, 121 
Picea excelsa, 120 
Picea omorika, 121 
Picea orien talis, 122 
Picea pungens, 119, 132 
Pieris floribunda, 142 
Pieris japonica, 143 
Pine, Austrian, 124 
Pine, Balkan White, 123 
Pine, Fo.xtail, 123 
Pine, Jack, 125 

Pine, Japanese Black, 124, las 
Pine, Japanese, Table, 132 
Pine, Japanese Umbrella, 126 
Pine, Japanese White, 124 
Pine, Korean Nut, 124 
Pine, Mountain, 131 
Pine, Red, 124 
Pine, Scots, 124 
Pine, Scrub, 12s 
Pine, Swiss, 124 
Pine, White, 114, 123, 131 
Pinus Banksiana, 125 
Pinus cembra, 124 

Pinus densiflora, var. umbraculifera, 13a 
Pinux flexilis, 123 
Pinus koraiensis, 124 
Pinus montana, 131 
Pinus monticola, 123 
Pinus mughus, 132 
Pinus nigra, 124 
Pinus parvifloria, 124 
Pinus peuke, 123 
Pinus pumilio, 132 
Pinus resinosa, 124 
Pinus Strobus, 114, 123 

Pinus Strobus, var. nana, 131 

Pinus sylvestris, 124 

Pinus Thunbergii, 124, laS 

Pinus virginiana, 125 

Pistacia chinensis, 172 

Plant collectors first sent to China, 6, 8, 9 



Pliny, Roses known by, la 

Plukenet, in his "Almagestum," 1679, mentions 

new Roses from China, 4 
Plum, 106 

Plimi Gardens of Tokyo, 187 
Plums, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Poison Dogwood, 107 
Poison Ivy, io6, no 
Polygonum baldschuanicum, 66 
Polygonium multiflorum, 66 
Poplar, 106, 177 
Populus lasiocarpa, 173 
Populus Simonii, 174 
Populus suaveolens, 174 
Populus szechuanica, 174 
Populus Wilsonii, 174 
Potentilla fruticosa, 50 
Potentilla fruticosa, var. parvifolia, 50 
Potentilla fruticosa, var. Veitchii, 50 
Primrose, China, introduced into England, 4 
Primrose hybrids, 240 

Primula hybrids, "Unique" and "Unique Im- 
proved" 240 
Primula Cockburniana, 239 
Primula pulverulenta, 239 
Primula pulverulenta, var., Mrs. R. V. Berkeley, 

240 
Primula Veitchii, 239, 241 
Privets (Ligustrum), 96 
Provence Rose (Rosa provincialis), known to 

Pliny, 12 
Prunus, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Prunus ansu, 190 
Prunus Armeniaca, 190 
Prunus Davidiana, 189 
Prunus glandulosa, 191 
Prunus incisa, 202 
Prunus japonica, 191 
Prunus Lannesiana, 201, 20a 
Prunus Lannesiana Gioiko, 202 
Prunus Lannesiana grandiflora, 201 
Prunus mira, 189 
Prunus mandschurica, 190 
Prunus mume, 187, 190 
Prunus Persica, 188 
Prunus pseudo-cerasus, 201 
Prunus Sargentii, 200 
Prunus serrulata, 201 
Prunus serrulata albo-rosea, 201 
Prunus serrulata "James H. Veitch," 201 
Prunus serrulata, var. sachahnensis, 200, 302, 

203 
Prunus Sieboldii, 201, 202 
Prunus subhirtella, 198 
Prunus subhirtella, var. pendula, 199 
Prunus tomentosa, 191 
Prunus triloba, 191 
Prunus triloba plena, 191 
Prunus yedoensis, 200, 203 
Pseudolarix Kaempferi, 134 
Pseudotsuga taxifolia, 118 
Pussy Willows (Salix),^ 177 
Pyracantha angustifoUa, 160 
Pyracantha crenulata, 92, 160 
Pyracantha coccinea, 92, 160 
Pyracantha coccinea, var. Lalandii, 92, 160 

Quince, 106 

Rambler Rose, introduced into England from 
China, 4, 5; into France from Japan, 9; wild 
prototype of, 11 

Raspberries, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Red fruits, trees, and shrubs with, 84 

Redwoods (Sequoial, 113 

Reeves, John, sends Wistaria sinensis to England 
from Canton, China, 60 



INDEX 



309 



Remontant or Hybrid Perpetual Roses, parentage 

of, 8 
Retinispora obtusa nana, 130^ 
Rhamnus, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Rhamnus alpinus, 94 
Rhamnus catharticus, 94 
Rhamnus daviiricus, 94 
Rhamnus Frangula, 94 
Rheum Alexandrae, 237 
Rhododendron Albrechtii, 357 
Rhododendron Album elegans, 261 
Rhododendron Album grandiflorum, a6l 
Rhododendron altaclarense, 267 
Rhododendron amoenum, 256 
Rhododendron arborescens, 253 
Rhododendron arboreum, 266, 273 
Rhododendron arbutifolium, 259 
Rhododendron Atrosanguineum, 261, 373 
Rhododendron austrinum, 252 
Rhododendron azaleoides, 266 
Rhododendron Boule de Ni6ge, a66 
Rhododendron brachycarpum, 269, 370, 371 
Rhododendron calendulaceum, 251, 3S4 
Rhododendron califomicum, 269 
Rhododendron calophytum, 373 
Rhododendron candidum, 353 
Rhododendron canescens, 351 
Rhododendron Caractacus, 261 
Rhododendron carolinianum, 257 
Rhododendron catawbiense, 264, 365, 369, 370 
Rhododendron catawbiense album, 361 
Rhododendron caucasicum, 264, 365, 369, 370 
Rhododendron caucasicum album, 366 
Rhododendron, Charles Dickens, 373 
Rhododendron chiysanthum, 369, 370 
Rhododendron ciliatum, 359 
Rhododendron Coriaceum, 366 
Rhododendron dahuricum, 194, 339 
Rhododendron delicatissiraum, 361 
Rhododendron Everestianum, 361 
Rhododendron Fargesii, 373 
Rhododendron ferrugineum, 358 
Rhododendron flammeum, 353, 353 
Rhododendron flavidum, 360 
Rhododendron flavum, 353 
Rhododendron Fortunei, 367 
RJiododendron Grifl&thianum, 367 
Rtiododendron H. W. Sargent, 361, 373 
Rliododendron Henrietta Sargent, 261 
Rnododendron hirsutum, 258 
Rhododendron Hybrid Maximum, 366 
Rhododendron Hybrids, 260, 366, 371, 373 
Rhododendron intricatum, 360 
Rhododendron japonicum, 330, 333 
Rhododendron Jacksonii, 366 
Rhododendron Kaempferi, 333 
Rhododendron King of the Purples, 361 
Rhododendron Lady Armstrong, 361 
Rhododendron laetevirens, 339 8 
Rhododendron lapponicum, 337, 338 
Rhododendron ledifolium, 336 
Rhododendron lutexmi, 330, 233, 334 
Rhododendron Madame Carvalho, 361 
Rhododendron maximum, 264, 366, 369, 970 
Rhododendron Metternichii, 369 
Rhododendron micranthum, 360 
Rhododendron minus, 237, 338 
Rhododendron Mrs. Charles Sargent, 361 
Rhododendron Mrs. H. H. Hunnewell, 361 
Rhododendron Mont Blanc, 366 
Rhododendron mucronulatum, 194, 339 
Rhododendron myrtifolium, 338 
Rhododendron nudiflorum, 231, 354 
Rhododendron obtusum, 336 
Rhododendron occidentale, 330, 353 , 
Rhododendron odoratum, 266 
Rhododendron orbiculare, 375 



Rhododendron oreodoxa, 37$ 
Rhoddoendron ponticum, 246, 364, 36Si 369 
Rhododendron poukhanense, 336 
Rhododendron praecox, 239 
Rhododendron punctatum, 238 
Rhododendron purpureum elegans, 361 
Rhododendron purpureum grandiflorum, a6t 
Rhododendron racemosum, 260 
Riododendron rhombicum, 236 
Rnododendron roseum elegans, 361 
Rhododendron Schlippenbachii, 337 
Rhododendron sinense, 230, 233 
Rhododendron Smirnowii, 269, 370, 371 
Rhododendron sonomense, 230 
Rhododendron strigillosum, 273 
Rhododendron Ungemii, 269 
Rhododendron viscosum, 232, 234 
Rhododendron wellesleyanum, 371 
Rhododendron Wilsonii, 259 
Rhododendrons, planting Lilies among, 37, 31; 

culture of, 243; preparations for in limestone 

areas, 248; in England, 264-368; natural 

habitat, 269 
Rhodora Azaleas, 349 
Rhodora canadense, 349 
Rhodora Vaseyi, 349 
Rhodora Vaseyi album, 330 
Rhus, for ornamental fruits, 84 
Rhus javanica (R. Osbeckii or R. semialata) 

for summer display, 43 
Ribes, for ornamental fruits, 83 
Rodgersia aesculifolia, 336 
Rodgersia pinnata, var. alba, 336 
Rodgersia sambucifolia, 336 
Rosa, confines and classification of the genus, 10 
Rosa alba, 13 
Rosa arvensis, 13 
Rosea Banksiae, 6 
Rosa Banksiae, var. lutea, 6, 16 
Rosa Banksiae, var. lutescens, 16 
Rosa bracteata, 6 
Rosa Brunonii, 13s 
Rosa centifolia, 7, 13, 13 
Rosa centifolia, var. muscosa, 13 
Rosa chinensis, 4, 3, 7, 8, 13 
Rosa chinensis, var. semperflorens, 4, S, 7 
Rosa chinensis, var. spontanea, xo 
Rosa cinnamomea, 13 
Rosa damascena, 7, 13, 13 
Rosa Ecae, 13 
Rosa filipes, 136 
Rosa foetida, 13 
Rosa Fortuneana, 8 
Rosagallica, 7, 11, 13 
Rosa Gentiliana, 136, IS7 
Rosa gigantea, 9 
Rosa Helenae, 136, 137 
Rosa hemisphaerica, is, 13 
Rosa Hugonis, 15 
Rosa humilis, 11 
Rosa laevigata, 4, 6 
Rosa lon^cuspis, 136, 137 
Rosa Luciae, 8 
Rosa microphylla, 7 
Rosa moschata, 8, 13 
Rosa multibracteata, 157 
Rosa multiflora, introduced into France from 

Japan, 9 
Rosa multiflora, var. camea, introduced into 

England, 3 
Rosa multiflora, var. cathayensis introduced into 

England from China, 4 
Rosa multiflora, var. platyphylla, introduced 

into England from China, 3 
Rosa odorata, 3, 8 
Rosa odorata, var. gigantea, 6, 133 
Rosa odorata, var. pseudoindica, 8 



310 



INDEX 



Rosa pendulina, 12 

Rosa persica, 15 

Rosa provencialis, 13 

Rosa Roxburghii, 7, 10 

Rosa Rubus 156, 157 

Rosa nigosa, 6, 1 1 

Rosa setigera, 1 1 

Rosa spinosissima, 12, 16 

Rosa virginiana, double flowered form, 11 

Rosa Willmottiae, 157 

Rosa xanthina, is 

Rose American Beauty, wild prototype of, 11 

Rose d'Amour, double flowered form of Rosa 
virginiana, n 

Rose Edward, 7 

Rose, Moss, 12 

Rose, Musk, 8, 12, 156 

Rose of Sharon, for summer resorts, 39 

Roses, introduced into Europe from China, 3, 4; 
parentage of modem varieties, 7; now in cul- 
tivation mostly made varieties, 1 1 ; kinds used 
by hybridists, 12; varieties known to ancient 
writers, 12; old varieties displaced, 13; how 
propagated, 13; ideals in breeding, 14; new 
varieties desired, is; name. Rose common to 
all peoples, 17; its place in the history of the 
world, 17; societies, devoted to encouraging its 
advancement, 17; new introductions, 156 

Roses, climbing organs of, S7 

Roses, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Roses, Wild, Lilies planted among, 31 

Rouen Botanic Garden, origination of Syringa 
chinensis (or Syringa rothomagensis) at, 328 

Rowan, for ornamental fruits, 83, 87 

Royal Gardens, Kew, receives first plants from 
China, 4; Sophora japonica thriving at, 43 

Rubus, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Rubus, bambusarum, 168 

Rubus chroosepalus, 168 

Rubus flagelliflorus, 168 

Rubus Henryi, 168 

Rubus ichangensis, 169 

Rubus Svidnhoei, 169 

St. John's Wort (Hypericum patulum, var. 
Henryi), so 

Salix Bockii, 170 

Salix magnifica, 170 

Salvia Przewalskii, 238 

Sarcococca humile, 166 

Sarcococca ruscifolia, 166 

Sargent, Prof. C. S., flowers for first time Mag- 
nolia kobus, var. borealis, 185; introduces 
Malus Sargentii, 211; introduces. Rhododen- 
dron Kaempferi, 2SS; met in Boston by Mr. 
Wilson en route to China in search of Davidia, 
276 

Sargent, Mrs. Charles S., Lily named in honor of, 
29 

Sassafras, 84, 102, 107 

Sambucus, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Sambucus callicarpa, 91 

Sambucus canadensis, 94 

Sambucus canadensis, var. maxima, 95 

Sambucus pubens, 95 

Sambucus pubens, var. leucocarpa, 95 

Sambucus racemosa, 91 

Scale insects, to control, 203, 212 

Schizophragma hydrangeoides, 68 

Sciadopitys verticillata, 126 

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), 88 

Senecio clivorum, 233 

Senecio tanguticus, 234 

Senecio Veitchianus, 233 

Senecio Wilsonianus, 233, 234 

"Seven Sisters" Rose (Rosa multiflora, var. 
platyphylla), 5, 9 



Shadbush, 107 

Sheep Laurel, 142 

Shepherdia canadensis, 88 

Shisandra chinensis, 64 

Siberian Moonseed (Menispermum dauricimi), 73 

Silky Cornel (Cornus Amonum), 98 

Silver Maple, io6 

Sinomenium acutum, 75 

Slater, Gilbert, obtains first Crimson China 
Monthly Rose in England, s 

Smilax, climbing organs of, 56 

Smilax hispida, 75 

Smilax rotundifolia, 75 

Smilax Sieboldii, 7s 

Smith, Prof. R. sends from Japan to England 
" the Engineer" Rose, 8 

Smoketree (Cotinus), 107 

Snowberry, Creeping, iso 

Snowberry Bush (symphoricarpos), 99 

Snowberries, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Snowy Mespilus, 107 

Sophora japonica, for summer display, 41; intro- 
duced into France from China by Father 
d'Incarville, 42 

Sorbaria Aitchisonii, 48 

Sorbaria arborea, 48 

Sorbaria assurgens, 48 

Sorbaria Lindleyana, 49 

Sorbaria sorbifolia, 48 

Sorbaria stellipili, 48 

Sorbarias for summer display, 47 

Sorbus, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Sorbus americana, 87 

Sorbus Aucuparia, 87 

Sorbus decora, 87 

Sourwood or Sorrel Tree, 40, 106 

Spicebush'^(Benzoin aestivale), 84, no, 180 

Spindle-tree, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Spondias axillaris, 173 

Spraying solutions for scale insects, 203, 31a 

Spruce, Canadian, or White, 121 

Spruce, Colorado Blue (Picea pungens), 119 

Spruce, Engelmann's, I2l 

Spruce, Norway, 120 

Spruce, Oriental, 122 

Spruce, Serbian, 121 

Stachyuras chinensis, 170 

Staphylea holocarpa, 171 

Staphylea holocarpa, var. rosea, 173 

Stewartia pentagyna, summer flowering native, 

45 

Stewartia pseudocamellia, for sununer display, 44 

Stranvaesia Davidiana, 161 

Stranvaesia Davidiana, var. undulata, 161 

Sumach, 84, 106, 107, no 

Summer Lilac, S2 

Summer gardens, shrubs suitable for, 39 

Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis), 72, 73 

Supple-jack (Berchemia scandens), 6s 

Sweet, introducer of Fairy Rose, 7 

Sweet Bay (Magnolia glauca) for summer dis- 
play, 40 

Sycopsis sinensis, 167 

Symplocos crataegoides, 97 

Symplocos paniculata, 84, 98 

Symphoricarpos, for ornamental fruits, 83 

Symphoricarpos mollis, 99 

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, 99 

Symphoricarpos racemosus, 99 

Symphoricarpos racemosus, var. laevigatus, 99 

Syringa affinis, 21s, 219 

Syringa affinis, var., Giraldii, 219 

Syringa alborosea, 223 

Syringa amurensis, 226 

Syringa chinensis, 228 

Syringa chinensis alba, 229 

Syringa emodi, 21s, 225 



INDEX 



311 



Syringa Henryi, aaS 

Syringa Henryi Lutfece, 228 
Syringa hyacinthiflora, 229 
Syringa japonica, 215, 227 
Syringa Josikaea, 214, 224, 32S 
Syringa Julianae, 222 
Syringa oblata, 215, 2ip, 220, 229 
Syringa pekinensis, 226 
Syringa persica, 221, 228 
Syringa persica, var. alba, 221 
Syringa persica, var. laciniata, 231 
Syringa pinnatiJFolia, 221 
Syringa pubescens, 220 
Syringa reflexa, 221 
Syringa Rehderiana, 223 
Syringa rothomagensis, 228 
Syringa Sweginzowii, 225 
^ninga tomentella, 223 
^ringa villosa, 223, 228 
Syringa vulgaris, 213, 214, 228, 339 
Syringa Wilsonii, 223 
Syringa Wolfii, 224 

Tamarack or Hackmatack, 134 

Taxodium, 113 

Taxus baccata. 136 

Taxus canadensis, 136 

Taxus cuspidata, 136 

Taxus cuspidata, var. nana, 137 

Tecoma radicans. 67 

Tecoma radicans. var. praecox, 67 

Thalictrum dipterocarpum, 238 

Thayer, Mrs. Bayard, Lily named in honor of, 39 

Thea cuspidata, 164 

Thuja gigantea, 127 

Thuja occiden talis, 128 

Thuja occidentalis Little Gem, 133 

Thuja occidentalis, var. lutea, 129 

Thuja occidentalis, var. pendula, 129 

Thuja occidentalis, var. plicata, 127, 129 

Thuja occidentalis, var. pUcata argenteo-varie- 
gata, 129 

Thuja occidentalis recurva nana, 133 

Thuja occidentalis Reedii, 133 

Thuja occidentalis Tom Thumb, 133 

Thuja occidentalis umbraculifera, 133 

Thuja occidentalis, var. Vervaeneana, 128 

Thuja occidentalis, var. Wareana, 129 

Thuja occidentalis, var. Wareana aurea, 129 

Thuja occidentalis Woodwardii, 133 

Thuja orientalis, 139 

Tiger Lily (Lilium tigrinum), 20, 35 

Tokyo, Plum Gardens of, 187 

Trailing Arbutus. 148 

Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), 173 

Trellises for climbing plants, 58 

Tripterygium Regelii, 64 

Trumpet-flower (Campsis radicans, or Tecoma 
radicans), 67 

Trumpet-flower, climbing organs of, S7 

Tsuga canadensis, 114, 122 

Tsuga canadensis, var. compacta, 122 

Tsuga canadensis, var. microphylla, 123 

Tsuga canadensis, var. pendula, 123 

Tsuga canadensis, var. Sargentiana, 122 

Tsutsutsi Azaleas, 24© 

Tulip-tree, 102, 106. 107 

Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), 84, io6, 108 

Turner, Messrs. Chas., purchase stock of "The 
Engineer" Rose and change name to "Crim- 
son Rambler," 9 

Ulmus americana, 176 
Umbellate Lily, type of the group, 35 
Ume (Japanese Apricot), 187 
Under-tree planting, shrubs for. 166 



Vacdniura, for ornamental fruits, 84 
Vaccinium Vitis-idaea, 148 
Vacciniums, planting Lilies among, 31 
Van Houtte, first to produce double Rhododen- 
dron luteum, 254 
Varnish Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), for 

summer display, 41 
Veitch, John Gould, first to send Lilium auratum 

to England, 21 
Veitch, Messrs., first in England to flower Lilium 

auratum, 21; receive first seeds of Giant 

Arborvitae (Thuja plicata), in England, 127; 

send E. W. Wilson in search of the Davidia, 

275 
Veronica angustifolia, 53 
Veronicas, planting Lilies among, 31 
Viburnum, 106, 110 
Viburnum acenfolium, 95 
Viburnum alnifolium, 95 
Viburnum americanum, 91 
Vjbumum buddleifolium, 163 
Vibtimum Canbyi, 97 
Viburnum cassinoides, 97 
Viburnum coriaceum, 162 
Viburnum Davidii, 161 
Viburnum dentatum, 97 
Viburnum dilitatum, 91 
Viburnum furcatum, 93 
Viburnum Harryanum, 162 
Viburnum Henryi, 161 
Viburnum Lantana, 95 
Viburnum lantanoides, 95 
Viburnum lentago, 97 
Viburnum Opulus, 91 
Viburnum Opulus, var. xanthocarpum,"92 
Viburnum plicatum, 95 
Viburnum propinquum, 162 
Viburnum prunifolium, 97 
Viburnum pubescens, 93 
Viburnum rhytidophyllum, 95, 162 
Viburnum rufidulum, 97 
Viburnum Sargentii, 91 
Viburnum Sieboldii^gs 
Viburnum tomentosum, 95 
Viburnum utile, 162 
Viburnum Veitchii, ps 
Viburnum Wrightii, 91 
Viburnums, for fruits and flowers, 79, 83 
Vilmorin, Maurice de, raises first tree of Davidia 

involucrata in Europe, 294 
Vinca minor, 147 
Virginia Creeper, 106, 107, 110 
Vitis aestivalis, 72 
Vitis amurensis, 71 
Vitis armata, 71 
Vitis betulifolia, 72 
Vitis bicolor, 73 
Vitis cinerea, 72 
Vitis Coignetiae, 70 
Vitis cordifolia, 73 
Vitis Davidii, 71 

Vitis Davidii, var. cyanocarpa, 71 
Vitis Doaniana, 72 
Vitis flexuosa, var. parvifolia, 73 
Vitis flexuosa, var. Wilsonii, 73 
Vitis labrusca, 73 
Vitis Piasezku, 72 
Vitis pentagona, 72 
Vitis reticulata, 72 
Vitis Romanetii, 72 
Vitis rupestris, 73 
Vitis, climbing organs of, s6 
Von Siebold, Philip Franz, introduces Prunus 

subhirtella, var. pendula, into Holland, 199; 

introduces Malus floribunda into Holland, 207 ; 

introduces Malus Sieboldii, 208; distributes 

Malus ringo, 210 



312 



INDEX 



Walnut, 106 

Washington, George, plants Lilac at Mount 

Vernon, 214 
Washington Thorn, for ornamental fruits, 85 
Waterer, hybridizer of Rhododendrons, a68 
Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum Lantana), qs 
Waxwork (Celastrus scandens), 65, 83 
Weld, Gen. Stephen M., Primula pulvenilenta 

in garden of, 240 
Wichuraiana Rose (Rosa Luciae), introduced 

into Belgium from Japan, 8; wild prototype 

of, II 
Wild Roses, extolled in poetry and prose for 

centuries, 16; Lilies planted among, 31; for 

fruits and flowers, 79; in autumn colors, io6 
Williams, S. T., introduces Syringa affinis into 

Arnold Arboretum from Japan, 319 
Willock, Sir Henry, introduces Yellow Persian 

Rose, IS 
Willow, los 

Willows, new introductions, 170 
Wintergreen, or Checkerberry, 149 
Wistar, Dr. Caspar, Wistaria named in honor 

of,byNuttall,6o 
Wistaria, 56 



•X 



Wistaria, how named, 60 



Wistaria, Chinese, 60 

Wistaria, Japanese, remarkable for long racemes 

of flowers, 61; when and by whom introduced 

to Europe and America, 6a; bow propagated, 

63 
Wistaria floribunda, var. macrobotiys, 6i 
Wistaria frutescens, 60 
Wistaria multijuga, 61 
Wistaria sinensis, introduced into England from 

China, 60 
Witch Hazels (Hamamelis), 177 
Woodbines (Lonicera Periclymenum), 66 

Xylosma racemosum, 173 

Xylosma racemosum, var. pubescens, 173 

Yellow flowered shrubs, 49 

Yellow and orange fruited shrubs, 93 

Yew, 136 

Yew, English, 136 

Yew, Japanese, 136 

Yoshino-sakura, Japanese Floweiiag Ckary, aoo 

Yucca filamentosa, 49, 147 

Yucca flaccida, 49, 147 

Yucca glauca, 49, 147 

Yulan (Magnolia conspicua), i8a 



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